


Dark Waters

by Corporal_Levi_cleans_my_house



Series: From The Dark Waters [1]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Biting, Blood and Gore, Body Language, Bonding, Character Death, Courtship, Cuddling & Snuggling, Eventual Smut, Feeding, For Science!, Grooming, Happy Ending, Hunting, Knotting, Levi's mysterious mer-dick, M/M, Mating/Heat cycles, Merfolk AU, Merman!Levi, Purring, Scent Marking, auditory communication, communication barriers, courting display, marine biologist!Hanji, mermaid!eren, preening, riren - Freeform, tagging because NO ONE SEEMS TO BELIEVE ME, wild!Eren, wild!Levi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-18
Updated: 2017-03-20
Packaged: 2018-05-14 18:58:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 26
Words: 169,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5754562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Corporal_Levi_cleans_my_house/pseuds/Corporal_Levi_cleans_my_house
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eren, a young mermaid, meets his dark and intriguing mate, Levi, for the first time by the edge of a large lake in the middle of the wetland forests. Hanji and her team of biologists hide nearby to document the elusive merfolk and their interactions.</p><p>Or that one merfolk au where Levi (merman/male/dominant) and Eren (mermaid/arguably still male but in the submissive role here) are a pair of mates living in the wild, meeting for the first time by the lake that Levi inhabits.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Lakeside

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eren, a young mermaid, meets his dark and intriguing mate, Levi, for the first time by the edge of a large lake in the middle of the wetland forests. Hanji and her team of biologists hide nearby to document the elusive merfolk and their interactions.
> 
> Or that one merfolk au where Levi (merman/male/dominant) and Eren (mermaid/arguably still male but in the submissive role here) are a pair of mates living in the wild, meeting for the first time by the lake that Levi inhabits.

In the woods out in the Trostian wetlands, far from even the nearest human civilisation, the waters of the Black Lake stirred. Birdsong filled the air and a gentle wind whispered through the branches of the trees that surrounded the lake. A ring of long grass and patches of reeds separated the tree line from the waters of the lake and, close to the edge, two creatures frolicked. One, dark-haired and mostly submerged in the murky water, called to the other in a series of barks and clicks while the other, wide-eyed and hesitant, padded about on the shore.

“Careful! We don’t want to spook them.”

A cluster of humans crept through the tall reeds nearing the perimeter of a nameless lake, carting equipment and cameras. The leader, a tall woman with thick-framed glasses and wild hair partially tamed in a ponytail, frequently hushed her team in whispers as they moved; urging them to be quiet so as not to disturb the event taking place by the edge of the dark, rippling water.

Just a few hundred metres away, on the edge of the lake, a merman was attempting to court his younger mate. Hanji crawled, elbows and knees, through the damp reeds until she found a spot over a log where she could watch the scene more clearly. Flattening herself against the sodden wood as much as possible, she peered eagerly through her binoculars, watching the gentle exchange. The mermaid padded about, waiting safely ashore in the sandy dirt and long grass. Its eyes were wide, flickering about to take in every little movement, and its nostrils flared in interest as it watched the merman swimming about near the lakeside.

Hanji took note of the lively male twisting and turning in the lake, cooing and clicking, trying to tempt the younger into the water to play. He flicked water at the mermaid with his hands and even his tail occasionally, surprising the waiting youth with a delightful coolness.

Up on the shore, the fluffy-haired creature leapt to catch some of the droplets sent his way, squeaking and rolling through the grass.

“They’re in the bonding phase.” Hanji whispered, elated that they had caught the ritual this early. She only just remembered to keep her voice in check as she watched the dominant male summersault through the water in the hopes that he could draw his mate in for a game. Hanji’s eyes narrowed in on the mermaid. “Our jovial little friend doesn’t look frightened,” she noticed, whispering to her assistant while her eyes remained locked on the yipping creature by the lakeside, “so I’m going to take a guess and say this is their first real meeting. Or at least one of very few encounters.” She clicked her tongue. “Poor little thing…he hasn’t got a clue what he’s getting himself into.”

“Shush. They’ll hear you.” Hanji’s assistant, Moblit, hushed the woman before she could get too excited and scare off the courting pair.

Biting her tongue to keep herself from squealing, Hanji collected herself and her jovially scattered thoughts.

“They mate for life, you know.” Hanji continued anyway, although she did lower her voice to an airy whisper, pushing her glasses up her nose a little and flipping fringe out of her face. “Once these two bond, that’s it. Neither of them will take another partner, even if one of them dies.”

“If only humans were like that.”

“And now you know why I love these guys so much.” Hanji whispered, rolling her eyes fondly at Moblit. “They’re simple, dedicated creatures that need nothing more out of life than their commitment to each other.”

It did seem sad, thinking that should one of these strange creatures pass away it would leave the other stranded and alone until they, too, passed on. That would be a lonely life. It was already for the mermen who spent their entire lives on their own, only interacting with other mermen while hunting for food, travelling, or fighting one another for territory. They only got to see their submissive kin in passing, watching forlornly from the water while the mermaid migrated from pond to pond, free from the limitations of gills and a tail. Mermaids at least got to live in their pods until they got old enough and curious enough to wander and find a male. After that, they had their mate for company. But the mermen were alone until that point. No wonder they could be such violent creatures, knowing no gentleness until their first interaction with a mermaid. Understandably, humans couldn’t carry on the commitment of waiting for that one, special individual and then remaining with them until departure from this world. Tragic, really. It was part of the fascination behind these creatures and why the bespectacled woman had become obsessed with learning more about them. Mostly, though, Hanji adored the beauty in such monogamous behaviour. Merfolk were odd and aloof, shrouded by theories and mystery that people like Hanji wanted to solidify or disprove, depending on which myths you listened to. That was the whole reason she was out here, it was the reason she had dragged her whole team out here to set up cameras and sit in the cold, miserable weather to get as many records of interactions between these amazing creatures.

Quietening once more, Hanji focused on taking notes at the speed of light, her pen flying across the paper as her eyes flicked between her notepad and the scene before them.

The merman in the lake had pale skin, almost light grey in colour from living most of his life completely submerged beneath the surface of the waters here. His palest flesh on his belly nearly glowed in the harsh light that filtered down through the cloud cover, reflecting off of white mist. The skin of his hands were darker, becoming paler the further along his arms the colour reached, and there was a darker hue of colour that ran the length of his spine. Hanji wondered if the darker skin merged with his tail. Hanji had not yet managed to see what a merman’s tail looked like clearly, but she lived in hope. Her subject’s eyes were almost as dark as his hair, which was inky black and slicked back thanks to the water. His ears were pointed and the same dark shade as his tail, and behind them were a few, raised spines in a few shades of greenish-blue. They wouldn’t always look that way; Hanji surmised that the brighter hues were a part of his mating allure. The mermaid wouldn’t be used to seeing bright colours on its kind so the display would definitely catch its attention.

The raven shook his hair out, sending droplets everywhere and earning himself a delighted squeal from the mermaid when some of the cold drops reached his skin. Looking up through the mess of dripping, dark fringe, the merman tipped his head back to warble for the brunet’s attention. With a few pushes of his powerful tail, he moved higher out of the water, upright and balancing, showing off for his mate.

With the added height, Hanji could see more of the raven-haired merman’s body; his chest and a portion of his torso on display. The dark skin on the ridge of his spine did reach all the way down to where the dark, blue-grey scales of his tail began. He had plenty of scars; they skipped across his skin, silver against the grey of his flesh. There were fins along his body, presumably to assist with tricky, underwater manoeuvres. Hanji squinted through her binoculars to get a better look at the raven’s spines, their colour and length, and estimated the merman’s age to be approximately twenty-eight. Considering this age and the excess scarring, Hanji assumed that this male must have come from deeper ocean waters and then followed the river all the way to this lake.

All to find his mate. Without knowing what they might look like or smell like or even act like. Hanji still had no idea how merfolk knew where to travel, given the vastness of the ocean and the huge number of rivers and lakes, pools and ponds that there were on the Earth. She wondered if it was determination alone? Probably not, but it was a determined effort to seek out their more land-oriented kin.

This male was significantly older than the young mermaid he was attempting to coax into the water; the curious creature had probably barely left its pod before this encounter. Hanji turned her gaze on the figure hovering cautiously in the long grass a few metres away from the trilling male, adjusting her binoculars.

Contrary to popular myth, mermaids were completely humanoid in form. They possessed no gills, not fins or tails, and only had slight webbing between their fingers and toes from living in the shallower ponds and pools inland or around coastal areas. Mermaids could have either masculine or feminine features, although the majority possessed a masculine resemblance in their figures. The number one difference was the common presence of both male and female genitals; a trait that had yet to fade out completely on the species’ evolutionary track since the submissive half of their kind had migrated from the ocean to rock pools and freshwater lakes. Beforehand, when all merfolk lived in the relative safety of the sea, any of their kind could carry pups. Now that the oceans were getting too cold for the submissive merfolk’s liking, they lived on land. The dominants of their kind had adapted, possessing only the male genitalia kept safe from exposure in a protective pouch inside the body. The submissives filled the leftover role as carriers of the young and courting became a whole new ballgame.

“What traits do you think the little one has?” Moblit’s whisper sounded by Hanji’s ear.

“I can’t tell.” She answered back, keeping her voice just as low. “We’d need to get higher, but they’d spot us.”

The mermaid being courted was mostly obscured by the long grass and reeds, so the bespectacled woman could not tell what reproductive traits it had; male, female, or both. They were all equipped to carry young and the mermaid’s mate wouldn’t care what he looked like so long as nothing and no one came between them.

“So is it a he or…a she?” One of the other scientists whispered from a little further back. “Or both?”

“Tricky one.” Hanji turned so that she wouldn’t have to speak up for the man to hear her. “Technically it could still have the characteristics of a _he_ , but all mermaids fulfil the role of the _she_ regardless of physicality.”

The man just blinked at her, squinting after a few seconds. “That’s…just confusing.”

Somewhere beside Hanji, Moblit snickered under his breath.

“To you and I maybe,” Hanji continued with a one-shouldered shrug, pushing her glasses down her nose to fix her unaided gaze on the confused man, “but no one ever told them that they had to make sense.” She raised her eyebrows at him and winked, readjusting her glasses. “Whatever works, works.”

The bespectacled brunette turned back to face the front once more, ignoring her baffled comrade.

“This would be a lot easier to understand with diagrams.” She heard him mutter after a few seconds.

Hanji sighed under her breath, giving a nod of agreement, and adjusted her glasses. There were diagrams, but not here. Those were all based off of recovered skeletal systems of already dead merfolk. What Hanji wouldn’t give to be able to complete a few scans of a living mermaid and merman. She had yet to do any real tests or examination of either submissive or dominant traits among wild merfolk as that would require capture which would be extremely traumatic for the unlucky victims. The marine biologist still needed to get the right equipment together to attempt a safe capture.

For now she was content to gather data. Looking towards the mermaid hovering by the lakeside, Hanji observed the skin so similar to her own. A mermaid’s skin was different from their decidedly male counterparts; the elusive mermen. For one, mermaids did not require near-constant hydration. Mermen lived in much deeper waters, inhabiting a decent sized territory that usually included a cove or an underwater cave of some kind where they would take their mate when the time for bonding came. Because of their submerged lifestyles, mermen’s skin was tough but smoother, requiring moisture to keep it hydrated unlike the mermaids who could survive without a constant need for water. Mermaids did enjoy the relative safety of small pools, however, preferring to live close to water after thousands of years of ingrained instinct.

Until a mermaid was courted and, eventually, taken into the water by their mate, mermaids lived in pods numbering from anywhere between two to thirty depending on location. In a remote area such as this, the bespectacled biologist suspected that the young mermaid under her watch would belong to a sizeable pod.

Hanji aimed her gaze at the mermaid, noting his coy but excited nature as he observed the merman twirling about in the water, calling to him with soft clicks and yips. Catching herself thinking of the mermaid as a male, the brunette shook her head. There was no helping it now, she supposed, but if they did learn that the little one had any specific traits she would remember to switch pronouns accordingly.

The mermaid had a tan to his skin (benefits of living in the sun instead of underwater) and wide eyes that eagerly flickered about, taking everything in. He squirmed about in place, digging his fingers into the soft dirt beneath the grassy layer. Hanji could only see the mermaid’s hands where they crept forward into the shorter grass. His ears were the only real giveaway to his non-human nature; they were pointed and deer-like, but with no fur. Instead, there were a few coloured specks and lines of grey and teal scales. From this and the few splashes of colour along his sides and collar bones, Hanji figured his age to be close to seventeen. Those colours must have been his very first display of readiness to mate, he was so young. Only just old enough to be allowed to wander away from his pod to play, Hanji guessed.

And there was a very good reason for the older pod members to be cautious with their younger members. Mermaids were raised by their pod from the day they were birthed in one of the occupied ponds. A mated mermaid would return to its mate shortly after their offspring was born, usually only one or two pups, and the young were then raised by the unmated mermaids until the day came for them to wander off and find their own partners. It was important to keep the young sheltered.

Mermen were, after all, predominantly aggressive beings. They fought constantly, battling each other for territory, food, and the right to mate. Sometimes they would initiate play fights for the sake of alleviating boredom and even a mock fight could be a frightening display.

The only time a merman was gentle was when he was sleeping or courting his mate. Even the act of mating itself was hardly a tender affair, but no newly matured mermaid could know that until they experienced it. That was why Hanji knew that this happy, inquisitive little mermaid had never been mated before, or witnessed the brutality of mermen fighting. The poor thing was too sweet, blissfully ignorant of the threat his dark-haired playmate could pose. Instead of running as he might have with a little more experience, the mermaid squeaked in response to the merman’s splashing, happily calling out to the older creature in hesitant excitement.

“Do you think they’ll get anywhere today?”

Hanji paused at the sound of Moblit’s whisper, keeping her eyes forward.

“Hard to say.” She murmured back, mulling over her own thoughts for a moment. “Depends on how well lover boy performs.”

The brunette fixed her eyes on the merman she was referring to, watching the raven slow his spinning tricks and surge briefly for the bank. He paused at the edge, not wanting to scare off the cautious but excitable creature waiting in the grass several metres away. Leaning up onto the shore a little, the raven-haired merman reached out with a single, slate grey hand in the mermaid’s direction, a rumbling sound stirring deep in his chest.

He waited.

“Oh…oh!” Hanji had to bite her lip to prevent herself from bursting out with a squeal of her own. “Quick, everybody, something’s happening!” The brunette hissed under her breath. “Make sure that camera is working! Try and get me a half decent shot!”

Up on the shore, the mermaid let out a wary sound and scurried behind a nearby log. His eyes narrowed, peeping over the edge of the sodden tree trunk, and he listened to the low, imploring sounds that came from his new friend. The youth made a conflicted noise, mewling his uncertainty and gazing over his shoulder in what was likely the direction of his pod, of home and safety.

A single, barking noise left the merman’s throat, the higher than normal pitch giving away his distress at the thought of his mate leaving. His extended hand connected with the ground, claws digging into the soil there as if he were preparing to literally haul himself out of the lake to pursue the mermaid. The noise surprised the creature on shore and he gave a slight start as he took in the raven’s slitted eyes and reaching hand upsetting the soil. But his ears flicked forwards in interest regardless, nose twitching as he leaned over the log to scent the air, eyeing the raven’s hand.

It was blindingly clear that the little creature was curious, desperate to find out more about this extraordinary and peculiar thing he had discovered. Sniffing tentatively, the mermaid padded over the log, pausing in the grass to fidget in indecision.

In the water, the merman huffed and gave an unruly whine that ended in an odd, clicking noise.

The mermaid’s ears twitched forward. Took in the sound. Twitched back. For a moment that seemed to stretch on forever, the tanned little creature hesitated, one arm bent as if to move forward, hand hovering in the air. It exhaled on a whine – an anxious sound that betrayed its uncertainty.

The whole lake seemed to still and the forest held its breath as the mermaid took a single, hesitant step closer…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know, new fic. I had to retake an assessment today and I feel like shite so you'll have to forgive me for this purely self-indulgent piece of fiction. I've been really interested in merpeople for ages now and I wanted to explore how their dynamic would work if they were completely wild creatures with no understanding of the human language.
> 
> And now you see this: the result of my thoughts.
> 
> Basically all you need to know is that in this au, Earth is a little larger than the one we know because I needed a little more space for my merfolk babies to be able to exist in remote areas without human interference. The rest is in the chapter.


	2. Shallows

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eren’s POV. They meet ^_^ A bit longer this chapter, but I had to cut about half because I’m waaay too tired to edit it right now and you all deserve another chapter sooner, so here you go. I’ll probably come back and re-edit this chapter at a later date.  
> Theme for the first meeting is ‘One Family (Score)’ from Tarzan. From about 1 minute onwards is what I used to write their first interactions in the shallows.  
> Un-beta’d, as yet :p my bad.  
> Enjoy!

Chittering for reassurance, Eren placed one hand on the ground. He played his fingers against the grass, finding comfort in the soft blades of green.

Feeling the grass under his fingers, Eren slinked over the stones and sticks in his path, limbs moving slowly. His usually darting eyes were still, focusing on every tiny movement, every breath and twitch that the raven gave. Eren inched forward, sniffing at the air, eyes fixed warily on the form of the merman waiting for him just a few metres away. The dark-haired male was silent, still as stone in the water; the rippling surface of the lake behind him remained the only sign to indicate that any part of him was moving at all.

Eren clicked at him, cocking his head to one side and waiting for a response. He got a slight huff of a reaction out of the merman, but that was about it.

When the raven’s outstretched hand was only a few centimetres away, lying atop the grass, Eren stretched out on his belly and eyed the hand. It was still under his gaze. His eyes narrowed, taking in the greyish skin and delicate, bluish webbing that connected each of the merman’s fingers. Each digit ended in a curved claw, shiny and black while wet. Curious, the mermaid pushed his own hand through the grass until it rested next to the merman’s and he compared what he saw. The raven’s hand was larger than his, with claws at the end of each finger. The talons were longer than Eren’s, darker too since they were still damp from the water, and presumably designed for more than just simple foraging. The mermaid used his much smaller claws for digging up roots or peeling back tree bark to search for insects. Sometimes they were useful for catching small fish.

A clicking sound caught the mermaid’s attention and he glanced up quickly, warily, at the source of the sound. It was just the raven, he knew, and he watched the male with cautious eyes, taking note of the keen eyes and the ears that were poised forward to catch any and all sounds. The merman tilted his head forward, making low noises in his throat. Eren’s head dipped down, only a slight sign of submission, but it would at least appease any edginess in the dominant as he edged forward. The action allowed the mermaid to inhale some of the merman’s scent as he sniffed along the raven’s arm from wrist to elbow. There was a short, flared fin from forearm to elbow, and a larger section of fin that reached along the rest of the raven’s arm from just above the elbow to his shoulder.

Interesting. Eren looked at his own arms, bare in comparison, and settled for sniffing the wet skin some more. The raven’s arm tensed when Eren’s nose brushed the crease of his elbow and the mermaid mewed an apology, faltering until the merman started to purr reassurances. The brunet moved closer, rolling his spine in a fluid motion, clucking curiously at the raven’s gill slits.

He sniffed at them, giving a curious squeak when the slits flicked open briefly, closing again as he watched. Eren let out a pitching squeal of excitement, leaning closer to examine the curious airways.

Eren shifted, his knee brushing the raven’s hand in the grass, and the mermaid paused, glancing up when he felt those cool fingers touch his calf. Grey orbs filled his vision as he looked up, frozen in place by the dark gaze that intrigued him so. Eren felt the raven’s claws on his skin, gentle, not digging in, and he sat up with his knees folded beneath him. He was close now, close enough that to lean forward enough could put him near enough to scent the merman’s hair.

The raven blinked, tilted his head a fraction, and Eren flinched when a dark tongue snaked out to lick his face. Eren eeped, startled, and pawed at the saliva on his face.

That was probably a bit _too_ close, he thought, and shifted one leg behind him to back up.

The clawed hand on his skin cupped the back of his knee, barely applying any pressure, just enough of a presence to make it known that the raven wished for him to remain close. The mermaid whined, head ducked and back bowing to put some distance between them. He didn’t think the raven would force him to stay there and he eyed the merman from under his shaggy fringe. Eren tested his resolve anyway, moving back. The hand on his leg shifted, gripping his thigh, and the brunet winced with unease but continued to pull back. It took a moment but the raven let him go when the mermaid started to whimper. Free once again, Eren scurried back until the merman could not reach him and noted the way the grey eyes following him narrowed, lighting with suspicion the further away he got.

Eren’s stomach made a sound and the brunet glanced at his belly, trying to remember when he had last eaten. He had been too occupied with his new playmate to think about food. The thought was pushed aside when the merman moved in the water, slapping his tail against the surface.

About a metre of space was between them and the raven barked a sound at the mermaid, the noise harsh but questioning as it left his throat. Eren watched the twitch of the dominant’s ears and the way the spined fins along his body flared out a little. The merman tilted his head, eyeing Eren’s belly for a moment before inclining it in the direction of the lake with an inquiring warble.

Eren followed his gaze, swallowing.

Glancing at the water, the brunet felt unease building in his gut. He had never been in water deeper than the ponds his pods travelled between, and even those were usually only deep enough for him to reach with his toes in the deepest parts.

This water was dark under the clouded sky, deep enough that it had hidden the raven entirely. If the brunet were to step over the bank, he was certain that he would be completely submerged in seconds. The very thought had fear shooting up his spine and his hands tensely gripping the grass. He wanted to trust his dark-haired companion but the thought of entering those depths was frightening.

Eren had not been able to spot the raven at all until he had emerged and called out to him, and the mermaid did not want to disappear into the lake.

The merman clucked at him and the brunet saw the dark of his tail rise out of the water in a fluid, lazy motion, rolling back down below the surface.

Eren swallowed, nostrils flaring as he took in air, searching for reassurance in the merman’s scent. He let out an airy whine, kneading the grass and dirt with anxious hands. The mermaid was scared of the void of the lake, but excited to play with his companion.

Maybe there was a compromise to be made, Eren thought. He wouldn’t go into the lake. Or at least…not here.

Eyes flicking up, the mermaid sniffed at the cool air, eyes searching along the shore. He wanted to learn more about his new friend, wanted to see if this merman would play with him like his podmates did. Eren wanted to know how his new friend smelled, how his skin felt – it looked so different. He wanted to see his tail up close, wanted to know what to call him other than friend. Most of all, Eren didn’t want to disappoint that dark gaze that called for him, like the raven had yearned for him even before they had met today.

The merman chittered at him, a question, and Eren yapped in response, taking off along the shoreline. Hoping to find an area of the bank that was less steep, the brunet scampered along. Maybe the raven could come up out of the water a little to meet him? Or perhaps Eren could go down? Eren didn’t mind which option they went with, so long as he didn’t have to go back home just yet. He paused every few steps, dashing about in the grass to make sure that the raven was following him. He was, albeit with a frown like he was wondering just what the hell Eren was doing. Following close to the shore; the merman wove through rocks and under fallen trees, keeping his sharp eyes on the bounding mermaid. Onwards Eren scrambled, scampering over logs and through the reeds, tumbling out into the shorter grass in a bundle of flailing limbs only to right himself. With a shake of his head to rid himself of leaves, Eren would be off again. He learned that it didn’t matter how fast he bounded across the ground; the merman could keep pace with him easily.

So Eren ran. He tore along the shore with a string of excited squeals and yips when the raven arced over the surface of the water a few times, although he had to move away from the land a bit to do so.

He was mesmerising; Eren could have watched him all day.

Instead, he sought out sloping ground, giving a series of happy clicks when he found a place where the banks of dirt changed to pebbles and stone, leading down in a gentle slope rather than the steeper points around most of the lake. Eren pushed a hand against the stony ground, testing to see how safe it was to step there. The pebbles didn’t shift too much at the pressure, so the brunet continued forward until his fingers met with cool water. Transparent – the liquid wrapped easily around his hand, then his wrist, as Eren padded into the lake. The water here was ankle deep and pooled around the smooth stones and a few boulders that had fallen from the mountain side to settle there. Some of them were quite large and would have made excellent sunning stones, Eren thought, if he had been able to climb up them. He would need a boost to get up that high, though, so the brunet quickly abandoned the idea of resting up there. Moss grew on every stone that wasn’t dry or constantly covered in water, covering everything with a beautiful, greenish tinge. Eren liked the greenery – it reminded him of his own pond back through the woods and marshes where trees surrounded everything – and he felt at ease padding forward. The water was so clear here; Eren could see every last stone and pebble under his hands in perfect detail as he made his way out into the shallows. The stones slipped beneath his fingers, slick and slimy with grime from being submerged, but that didn’t bother the mermaid as he scampered out until the water reached his hips.

The lake was cooler than Eren had expected and he shivered at the chilly kiss of the water that lapped at his skin. It was not an unbearable temperature, though, and the mermaid knew that he would grow accustomed to the cooler water once he had been in it long enough.

Eren wondered to himself if his raven-haired friend was comfortable in such cool temperatures all the time. Maybe he could ask?

Expectant eyes rose up to scan the deeper waters and Eren frowned when he could not see his merman’s form. It occurred to him that he hadn’t seen or heard any sign of the raven since he had last checked over his shoulder while scampering along the shore in search of shallows. Yet now that he had found a suitable place for them to play, there wasn’t sight or sound of the merman. The water shone dark grey out where the ground dropped away; it would have been difficult to spot anything anyway.

Eren wondered what was keeping the merman as his eyes followed ripples out in various spots on the lake surface, probably from dragonflies landing. The brunet let out a soft call, playing with the slippery stones beneath his hands while he waited.

No immediate reply came, no chirping response or answering clicks. It was odd; the merman had been so eager to keep him from leaving before and now he wouldn’t show himself? The mermaid did not understand. Eren bit his lip, fidgeting for a few moments in the quiet. His ears twitched, listening to the birdsong and the croak of an old frog. The only movement in the water was the flurry of small fish, or the occasional water bird stalking gracefully through the shallows.

Eren waited, smoothing the grime off of one of the large, round stones with his thumb.

Still nothing.

The young mermaid felt a sudden wave of loneliness wash over him, making him wish for his home and his pod. He wanted to be warm, snuggled close, and instead he sat alone in cold water.

A pitching whine left the brunet’s throat, his head tipping back with the sound, and he listened to his beseeching call ring out across the lake. It echoed off the cold stone of the mountains, scaring a few birds from their perches. Eren waited, watching the wind stirring up leaves in the trees. He was distracted for a moment by a few pine needles falling to the surface of the water when a bird landed in the branches of one of the tall pines.

The cloud cover thinned, letting a few rays of precious sunshine through to kiss Eren’s skin with warmth. He closed his eyes on a sigh and the mermaid let his head tip back, welcoming the familiar heat on his skin. At least it wasn’t so cold out now.

After a few more fruitless attempts to call the merman out of the water, Eren turned with a resigned huff. He was on his own for now and that was much less exciting, but maybe he could find some adventure around the shallows. First he headed for a dry rock, settling atop it to preen briefly. Eren stretched out across the rock to feel the sun on his back, getting comfortable as he washed slippery grime from the pebbles off his fingers. When the green tinge was gone, Eren twisted to start checking the rest of his body for any potential grime. His skin was still wet from trotting about in the lake, so it was easy to scrub off the majority of the grass stains that Eren found on his knees and wrists. The rest were coaxed off with his tongue. By the time he was clean, the brunet had stretched out over his rock enough that he was beginning to contemplate taking a nap.

He was wary of sleeping out here, alone, when he had only ever been around others of his pod before when he slept, and the lake held more than one curious merman. Eren knew that much. He could smell them.

At least three others had been out and about this morning. Eren could tell from the lingering scent they left in the air, no doubt from logs or rocks and reeds that they would have touched. Smelling a merman was easy.

Actually seeing one was a hundred times trickier. That was the worrying thing.

Taking a nap out here was probably an awful idea. The thought of sleep was abandoned, however, at the first sign of otters.

A small group of the furry creatures rustled through the reeds and Eren took off after them with an excited yip. Otters were great fun; Eren played with them all the time back in one of the larger ponds his pod lived around. He had to remember to calm down when one of them made a loud sound of alarm. Just because Eren didn’t smell like a predator didn’t mean that he wouldn’t look like one with the way he was rushing over without thinking to approach with caution. It was easy enough to slow his stride and call out in greeting, and a few minutes later the brunet was paddling about in the long grass and lily pads with the little, furry creatures.

There were five; two parents and three pups. Eren watched one of the pups dip its face under the water, coming up again with dripping, spikey-looking fur instead of the fluff-ball it had been before. The mermaid snickered at it, listening to the little squeaks that the pups made as they played, rolling about in the water like tiny, furry eels with legs. Odd but cute, like most baby animals were. Their fur felt strange and slimy when they brushed against him and Eren wasn’t sure if he liked it or not, but he definitely liked their little round faces. Their tiny paws were cute, too, although the claws were a little rough on his skin. Eren could forgive the pups for their eagerness, though, and he watched them race through the obstacle course of his limbs in the water with a smile on his face. The mermaid helped the pups find fish and bugs to chase, keeping an eye on the deeper water for any signs of danger.

He wondered where his merman was.

The otters paddled off for their home after about fifteen minutes, leaving once the clouds drifted together again and stole away the sun, and Eren was left alone again and searching for something to occupy himself with. The brunet was busy looking for something to eat, focusing on a fish he had cornered when an odd slapping noise interrupted his search.

An alarmed hiss left his throat as he spun around, eyes wide and searching for the source of the sound. The waters rippled towards a cluster of large boulders but there was no figure to be seen. Eren bared his teeth and hissed once more at the surface of the lake, sniffling briefly before turning back to find where his fish had gone.

It had escaped during his panic and the mermaid yowled his frustration, slapping the water with splayed fingers for stealing his snack. His stomach tightened as if to reprimand him for his failure to acquire food and the brunet grimaced, touching a hand to his belly with a quiet whimper.

A snorting sound had the brunet tensing up, and he turned to look over his shoulder in time to see the last flick of a dark tail disappearing under the water. Eren’s ears pricked up, flicking forward hopefully. He called out to see if he could tempt the merman from the depths, but once again no response came.

That was when Eren’s eyes noticed something peculiar.

Laid out on one of the larger rocks in the shallows, closer to where the deeper water began, there was a pair of fish. They were unmoving so the mermaid instantly knew that they were dead.

What was the raven doing leaving perfectly good fish lying out like that? Eren wondered what the purpose of the odd action was, coming up blank. He wondered if this was what his merman friend had been doing all this time while Eren had been looking for other entertainment.

Had the merman been hunting? Was that why he had left Eren alone?

The sight of food had Eren’s stomach twisting, reminding him of the fact that he had yet to eat a proper meal today. But those fish were not his and he would not risk the merman’s wrath by assuming that he was allowed to eat them.

Eren returned to the rock he had been sunning himself on before as he had bathed, digging about under pebbles to look for worms and bugs to eat. The mermaid found some tender plant roots, digging his little claws into the mud and pulling them up. He made sure to rinse the sticky soil from the fragile, white roots before he ate them, silently mourning the loss of his fish from earlier.

He chewed on a few plants for a while, letting them settle in his stomach. It wasn’t much but a little food was better than nothing. Eren picked at his toes for a few minutes, rolling onto his back in the water to let his feet swing up into the air. The clouds let through a few blotches of blue sky and Eren desperately wished for the sunshine to come back. It was cold out in the open with the cloud cover and the brunet briefly considered heading back home to snuggle with his podmates. Eren did not want his adventure to end, but at least he would have warmth and company amongst his pod. But the mermaid wanted to explore new things and the older mermaids would chide him for leaving in the first place. Not wanting to have to return just yet, the brunet settled for looking for more food. There were no berries growing here, but little fish were plentiful. Chasing the smaller fish through the reeds proved to be a lot of fun, albeit tiring. Eren gave it his all, though, diving after the slippery little devils with excited squeaks and little growls. He managed to eat a few, happier now that his stomach didn’t feel like it was trying to implode.

A new bout of exploring followed. Eren bounded towards the reeds he hadn’t ventured through yet. He stumbled almost immediately upon a nesting duck, scurrying away from it quickly when it began to hiss and flap in earnest at his curiosity. Eren smoothed his ruffled hair, licking his palm a few times and pushing his fingers through fluffy locks in the hope that the saliva would tame his unruly mop. No such luck, though. Eren eventually rolled himself through the water, dunking his head to blow bubbles and scare fish.

The water surged a few metres ahead of him and a sudden movement had the young mermaid yelping out in surprise. Eren turned in fright and scrambled back a few paces to dive behind a patch of reeds, turning with wide eyes fixed on the water.

The surface of the lake rippled after the surge of movement, a dark head of hair already half-emerged, and the brunet paused as he recognised the dark eyes watching him from underneath a dripping fringe. Eren yipped once, flicking his ears forward from where they had been pressed back against his skull in an anxious display. Grey eyes blinked at him, once, then twice with a second set of clear lids that protected the merman’s eyes under the water and provided extra moisture out of the lake. Those slitted orbs watched the mermaid, and the raven moved slowly, less at home here in the shallow water but eager to meet his mate.

Eren followed the movement of the merman’s arms as they pulled his weight through the water, grey hands searching for careful purchase on the slippery stones. The flex and shift of muscle under pallid skin was intimidating, but Eren did not flee as the merman brought himself closer. He refused to scamper away, having waited some time now to meet this creature face to face.

In his excitement at seeing the raven, Eren forgot himself and bounded closer. Water splashed around his hands and knees, the sound loud in the brunet’s ears.

The merman’s eyes blinked wide and his fins flared out in surprise at the sudden and rushing movement. He hissed in mild reprimand, the sound soft on his tongue, and Eren yelped and dove into a patch of reeds. He peered through the stems and fronds, knowing that the hissed warning had not been particularly harsh. It made him wary nonetheless.

Eren settled himself in the reeds, feeling sodden grass and cool water against his belly. He waited, eyeing the merman through slitted teal pools, and rested his chin atop curled hands, looking up at his mate through dark lashes.

After a moment taken to calm himself the raven paused, clicking for the mermaid to approach. A low sound hummed in the merman’s throat to assure Eren he was safe and the raven tossed his head to shake off some of the water that dripped from his hair.

Eren could see the larger creature’s entire torso now, not to mention parts of his tail where it lay in the water behind him, still mostly submerged and swishing idly to and fro. The raven’s arms were straight, holding his body up and out of the water for the most part except for where his hands, wrists, and a section of forearm were lost beneath the shallows.

Curiosity got the better of the brunet.

Creeping out from behind the reeds, the mermaid approached with cautious strides, eyes wide and nostrils flaring as he scented the air. The slide of the merman’s dark tail had Eren hesitating, but he guessed that the raven would be slower without his deep water. It would be trickier for him to dart about and take advantage without the benefit of feeling weightless, so the brunet risked getting a little nearer. He took in the angular face of the raven – the sharp cheekbones and strong jaw, his wet hair still dripping with lake water – and the eyes that softened the nearer the mermaid came.

Eren didn’t stop inching nearer, not even when the merman’s face was centimetres away. He had to remember to breathe; he was safe and this creature wouldn’t hurt him. The merman kept still, as if he were afraid Eren would spook if he so much as breathed too much.

Ducking his head, the brunet moved closer still, craning his neck to sniff at the slitted gills on the raven’s throat. He did not touch them, unsure of what the merman might do. He scooted closer, knees folded under him as he settled, bent under the raven’s chin, and sniffed at the base of his neck where flecks of colour could be seen on his skin. Scales, the mermaid realised. He wanted to touch them, to feel their texture against the pads of his fingers. The brunet leaned closer, inhaling more of the damp scent the raven emitted. Eren licked at the juncture of the merman’s throat where skin met with scattered scales, surrendering to the urge to taste without thinking. He was surprised with the rainwater-and-grass flavour that coated his tongue. He stiffened at the sound the merman made, a sort of growl that Eren probably should have felt threatened by. Instead, he felt encouraged, and tasted the coloured scales again. He mapped their progress along the ridge of bone that was the raven’s collar, following the stripes that spread out across his chest from sternum to nipple, and felt the moisture from inky hair dripping onto his shoulders. The water was cold against the mermaid’s skin but it warmed as it trailed paths down his back, and Eren sat up then, happy that he had not yet upset his friend.

Eren knew his smell and taste now, wondering at the almost sweet flavour of his colours after the water was licked away. It tempted him to lean closer, to examine more thoroughly, but the brunet leaned back anyway with the intention of searching the raven’s face for a sign of how to proceed.

The raven who had, up to this point, remained as still as the mountains themselves. At Eren’s movement, however, he shifted. The mermaid stilled quickly in response, drawing in air through his nose and mouth, searching for any signs that he should be worried. His ears twitched to the side, listening to the soft noise of the merman’s breathing.

Nothing to fear. Not yet.

Eren felt something press into his hair, heard the inhale of the raven scenting him, and he pressed his ears against his skull so he wouldn’t accidentally flick the merman in the face. He wanted to move, to see what his dark-haired companion was thinking, but somewhere within him there was an urge to remain still. He looked past the merman’s shoulder instead, staring at the length of the raven’s tail. It was huge, longer than his upper body, and covered in dark scales that could have been dark grey or perhaps a shade of blue. Maybe even both, Eren thought, because they seemed to change between colours with every movement.

Wide teal orbs focused on the flukes as they moved, a lighter bluish-grey in colour, and he squeaked happily when the fanned end of the raven’s tail flicked up and splashed him with a little water. As he squirmed jovially in place, letting out a few, high pitched barks at the tail that settled back into the water with a lazy flop, he barely noticed the merman moving.

Holding up his weight with a single arm, the raven curled the other around Eren’s back. The mermaid stilled, beginning to turn his head with a questioning sound. A low sound came in response and Eren reminded himself to breathe while he analysed the situation.

They were very close, yes, but he felt no real threat in the raven’s presence. The mermaid’s heart was racing, but he lacked any overwhelming feeling of fear or unease. He was nervous, worried that he might make a mistake and offend this creature that had, thus far, been nothing but gentle with him. Eren knew signs of aggression and was prepared for them. But the merman did not hiss or growl at him in earnest and most of the noises he made were meant to soothe and encourage. His touch was careful, too, conscious of even the slightest change of pressure. The raven’s hold could barely be called that; there was no pressure, just the gentle contact of the awkward, half-embrace. It must have strained his arm but that didn’t seem to matter, not with the way the merman nuzzled the side of the mermaid’s face, slow and tender like he thought Eren might disappear.

Tentative and slow, Eren leaned into the touch and slid the side of his face against the merman’s. His skin was cool against Eren’s warmer flesh and the brunet shivered, but he was too enthralled with the slippery glide of the raven’s slick skin to want to pull away. Tilting his head to the side a little, Eren felt something seem to click between them. The raven’s scent rose up, warm and content in the mermaid’s nose and as Eren let their throats touch he felt a tingling sensation wash through his body. It was pleasant, warm, and comfortable.

A low, rumbling purr started up in the raven’s chest; Eren could feel it passing through him where their skin touched, and he felt happy at the thought of doing something right.

He had made the merman happy. He had gotten him at ease enough to vocalise his contentment.

If there was any time to act on bravery, it was now.

The brunet didn’t move, not even bothering to back up and look the merman in the eye for fear of upsetting him by putting space between them. He made a soft sound, getting the raven’s attention and waiting for the acknowledging grunt that the merman gave before proceeding.

With a careful string of respectful clicks and trills, Eren told the raven what he could call him. A name was precious – it hinted at familiarity and the desire to grow closer – and the brunet did not hand out his title lightly. He wanted this merman to know his name and hear him utter it, but even more than that Eren wanted to know the raven’s name.

He asked, waiting, hoping, for a response.

After a brief moment’s pause, the merman made a noise that Eren had never heard before but recognised instantly as the raven’s name.

 _Levi_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again Eren wins the award for cutest little shit XD
> 
> I’ll be putting a post (or maybe several posts) on tumblr concerning the lore of this AU because of how different things are with the mermaids and the mermen and their rituals, etc… so if anyone has any questions about this fic just drop a comment here or an ask/message on my tumblr (haberkonium.tumblr.com) and I’ll try to answer those in the post/s. Because a lot of people are asking a lot of questions and I’d like to eliminate confusion cos the answers will come a little slower in the fic seeing as we're learning new things with the characters as they progress. Although most of the stuff y’all are concerned about will eventually be explained, I promise ^_^ thanks!  
> Kudos to you all!


	3. Yearn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I accidentally wrote ‘the little mermaid’ in part of a description in this, laughed for two minutes straight, and then deleted the sentence.
> 
> Later than expected and un-beta'd, but it's 4:00AM and I'm running on fumes here :p  
> Levi POV of the meeting in the shallows from chpt 2, starts from just about when Levi came out of the water in the shallows last chapter and carries on from there.  
> Enjoy!

Up close at last, there were a hundred different things that Levi wanted to do.

_Hold._

_Touch._

_Taste._

_Bite._

The list went on. He pushed them all away, not close enough to actually succeed in performing any of those wishes yet. Finding support for his hands on the slippery pebbles of the lakebed, Levi used the slick grime to ease himself forward. His tail did most of the work, leaving his arms to keep him upright. Levi paused when the water was only deep enough to swallow up to his wrists in the shallowest area. He felt ill at ease without the friendly weightlessness of the lake waters, but he would put up with the added effects of gravity if it meant that he could meet his little mate with no barriers between them.

Grey orbs narrowed to slits in their searching quest to find the brunet and he spotted the suddenly hesitant mermaid watching him. The raven’s eyes bore into the form of his mate, the little creature hiding warily in the reeds and tall grass. Levi did not blame the mermaid for his caution, after all Levi knew that his approach had not exactly been a friendly one. He should have moved slower, but his eagerness had gotten the better of him.

It wasn’t every day that one got to meet their mate.

He was beautiful, too; a pretty little ball of energy and vibrancy wrapped in skin that shone gold in the rare beams of sunlight. The mermaid was slightly smaller than the raven, lean and nimble on arms and legs bent into a crouch. Ears flicking forward, the little creature looked on in intrigue. Levi could pick up his scent even from here. The brunet smelled like the forest he lived in, only sweeter, purer somehow, like raindrops caught on the tongue. The mermaid was young – Levi could tell by the little flecks of colour that decorated parts of his body that he was barely old enough to leave his pod – and his skin still possessed the soft glow of youth.

Levi wondered if that skin felt as soft as it looked. Would it be pliant under his hands? What would it be like to hold him? Would he feel warm? Soft? Everything that Levi wasn’t?

Probably, the raven surmised.

He inhaled through his nose, fighting back a wince.

It hurt to be this close to him, so near to his little mate and yet not near enough. Every inch of his skin tingled almost painfully with eagerness to touch the mermaid and be touched in return. Every breath of air was a chore, a battle that Levi had to fight as scent invaded his nose with its warm aroma.

But, despite his inner struggle, Levi’s mate was waiting for some signal that he was safe, that he could approach. The raven clicked to summon him and the brunet slithered out of the reeds on his belly, inching closer and watching the merman’s every move. With slow and cautious steps the mermaid came nearer, sniffing at the air between them until there was no space left. Wide eyes took in his face and Levi could see his own features reflected in those teal pools. They looked so different; the raven wondered how this sweet little creature could know that they were from the same species.

Levi remained deathly still while the brunet examined him. The raven was afraid that if he so much as moved more than to breathe he might try to pin the little creature happily scenting him. That was not the impression he wanted to leave in the mermaid’s mind.

He couldn’t scare him. Levi thought he might lose all hope and thought of sanity if his mate were to spook and flee from him now.

The raven shifted, moving at last, holding onto the urge to be gentle by pressing his nose into damp locks the colour of rich soil. Here the mermaid’s scent was stronger, but it grounded Levi, gave him something to focus on other than his raging urges. This little creature licking at his colours was too sweet to shove back into the water and pin. He was too naïve to bite and mark.

Levi ached to do it, though. He yearned to mark his little mate all the way to his core. His arms were tense, locked into place in the task of holding his weight up so that the mermaid could explore to a degree. The raven bit back the urge to hiss his frustration, flicking his tail instead and hearing with surprise the happy squeaks that his mate gave when cold droplets rained down over them a moment later.

The sound calmed Levi. He was pleased that the brunet liked the water so much; it would be a lot easier to coax him out into deeper parts of the lake if he could become relaxed in this place.

Finally Levi surrendered to the sole longing to touch his mate and he shifted again to keep himself upright with just one arm. It was uncomfortable, but the raven could put his now free arm around the mermaid’s wet shoulders. The skin there was warm and the muscles in the brunet’s shoulders only tensed briefly as Levi embraced him.

Levi wanted to _bite_ him.

There wasn't a single bit of threat to the urge. In fact Levi was driven out of fondness to want to see his bite marking up the golden skin so close to him.

He wanted to hold him down against the slippery stones here and _cover_ him with marks of claim.

_Not yet._

Levi made a low sound of reassurance instead, nuzzling the side of the mermaid’s head. His ear flicked back against his skull, closing off on that side just in case the brunet decided to eep loudly. He tucked the fins there back as well, pushing against the smaller creature gently. The actions were careful, as gentle as the raven could make himself be. He had to fight back the vicious instincts that roared beneath his skin, boiling in his blood. This sweet, precious thing in his arms deserved to be spoiled and given everything his little heart desired.

The careful affection paid off and the mermaid relaxed against him, his warm skin seeming to melt against Levi’s cooler flesh. The brunet moved, tilting his head to move closer.

Levi’s arm almost gave out when the little mermaid slid the soft column of his throat against the raven’s neck, dragging the little flares of colour on his golden skin against the merman’s closed-off gills.

 _Ecstasy_. Levi almost choked on a growl that tried to force its way free of his throat, only just managing to keep the sound under wraps. The skin around his gills lit up with sensation and the raven grimaced at the scent he secreted at the contact. There was want in the scent he gave off; want and bone deep yearning that the poor, sweet brunet wouldn’t even begin to understand yet. Levi couldn’t be angry with the mermaid, though, because how was the poor little one supposed to know how riled his actions made the raven. Levi tried to relax, letting the gentleness of the mermaid’s touch draw his focus away from the pleasure that lit him up from within with every brush of contact against his vibrant courting colours. They would be much brighter now, Levi knew, but he hoped that the brunet would not notice the change.

The last thing the merman needed to worry about was embarrassment over his lack of control over his body.

Focus, he told himself. Calm down. Pay attention to _him_. Feel him move. Hear him breathe.

Levi started to purr, allowing himself to find contentment in how close he was to his little mate, close enough that they were touching. True touching, not just a grappling hold or the threatening slashes of clawed hands. That was the contact that Levi was most accustomed to. Even play fights between his kind were never gentle.

This was new. This was better.

So much better.

Days ago the raven had been wondering if he would ever find a mermaid that caught his attention and then this energetic little twerp had bounced into his life. Levi had never moved so rapidly in his life to get to the adventurous little creature, nor had he ever seen the lake burst into life so suddenly. The raven wasn’t the only merman who had taken a liking to the bright-eyed brunet, but he was the only one who had won the right to court him. Levi had fought his kin, their brawl sending the deeper waters churning. All the mermaid ever saw were the bubbles of their exhaled breaths and the rippling surface.

It hadn’t been easy, but Levi had been determined, taking on not one but _three_ challengers along the way. They learned their lesson, returning to their own territory by the lake borders to let the raven have the rest of the area to court his mate. The dark-haired merman left without a scratch, although he knew some of his skin would bruise from several blows he had not bothered to dodge in favour of a more direct assault on his opponents. He was strong and it had been worth it to take the short cut of a few well-placed blows without bothering to dodge.

Levi hadn’t been worried about another challenger after he won his matches, nor was he concerned that any of the others would return to pick a fight with him again. Mermen may have been violent and quick to quarrel, but they honoured a fight won. Taking a mate was serious business among their kind and no merman would deny a champion his chance at wooing their desired partner. Levi had earned his time with this mermaid and he knew that no sane merman would ever dream of interrupting his courting of the sweet little creature. They had all been alone, they all knew the anguish of solitude, and even seeing another of their kind find a mate could bring a little contentment to other dominants in the area.

The mermaid was calling him, trying to get his attention. Levi blinked, leaving his thoughts behind as he acknowledged the younger merperson.

The dear thing still hadn’t moved, how precious. Too worried to upset the dominant, perhaps? Levi was impressed that the youngster was trying so hard. The raven listened intently, hearing the polite series of trills and a few clicks of the brunet’s tongue. He realised what the sounds meant and it made the merman feel satisfaction deep enough that it reached into his bones and made them feel warm even despite the cool lake water.

Eren. His mate’s name was Eren.

Levi latched onto the little sound that left the brunet’s lips, knowing the shorter trill that ended on a click was the brunet’s name. It was odd, simple and short like his own title, and although Levi had not heard this name before; it swam in his head like he had known it since he had first been able to think.

 _Eren_. Hearing the name settled a strong sense of ease in the raven’s gut, a relief that he had done well enough in his courting efforts thus far to win this victory.

The brunet was quiet, waiting for the raven to respond, to enunciate his name perhaps. His ears flicked back and forth, settling against the sides of his head again when he remembered himself. Eren was trying so hard to keep his eagerness in check and the raven couldn’t help but find it endearing.

Levi let a moment pass in silence just to feel the mermaid start to squirm in hopeful impatience against him.

He told Eren his name.

 _Levi_ did not sound particularly appealing to the ears, or at least that’s what the raven thought. He remembered the first day he had felt the title, heard it in his mind and known that it was what he was called. It was a low noise and a hissing syllable that slithered on the tongue, dark and unfriendly. Levi supposed that it suited him, for he was dark and unfriendly.

The brunet could only remain still for a few seconds, probably shocked to hear his mate’s name for the first time. In the next instant Eren squeaked in delight, replicating the sound of Levi’s name in his higher voice.

Apparently the brunet did not feel the same way about Levi’s disagreeable character, for he chirped the raven’s name a few times with increasing cheer each time. When Eren said the raven’s name, it sounded like bells and the whisper of wind. There was no harshness to the brunet’s voice, it was a melody, a song of chirps and high tones, neither overly loud or imperceptibly quiet.

Levi had never loved any sound more.

His features smoothed out into something content and he backed up a little to give the mermaid some much needed space so the little tyke could splash around and celebrate his triumph in learning his mate’s name. And that’s just what Eren did. The tanned creature rocked back onto his haunches with a grin, meeting Levi’s gaze with sparkling teal eyes before he let himself topple back into the shallows. The raven watched him roll about merrily and brought his tail up beside him in the meantime, settling into a more comfortable position.

Levi let himself breathe deeply, clearing his lungs of the warm scent of Eren. He needed to keep a level head and the brunet’s pheromones weren’t exactly helping him to control his less pleasant instincts.

He blinked one set of lids, then the other, pleased with the comfort of extra moisture coating the lens of his eyes. The raven looked on, following the bounding mermaid dashing and yapping about in the water.

A squeak captured the merman’s attention and he sniffed, nose twitching to decipher the brunet’s wishes. Eren smelled of excitement mostly, so the raven waited.

He didn’t have to wait long.

Eren tossed his head, scampering over to him.  He surprised the raven by stopping very close to his face, leaning in close and licking the tip of his nose.

Levi blinked. He whined – a soft, airy sound that the raven wasn’t sure even came out of his mouth properly – and the brunet snickered at him.

The little shit.

Levi curled his upper lip back, baring a mouthful of wickedly sharp teeth just to see how the mermaid would react. He waited for Eren to run, but the brunet’s brilliant eyes only grew wider out of intrigue. The young creature leaned close, eyeing the pointed teeth and even reaching out to prod one.

The raven blinked, unimpressed with the gesture, and his dark tongue snaked out to lick a stripe up the mermaid’s cheek. He tasted the faint salty tang of skin and a few drops of water.

Eren squealed and dove back, one hand covering his now-wet cheek as he stared at the raven with owlish, accusing eyes.

Levi gave a low, rumbling sound of amusement, his head bobbing with the sound. It was refreshing to just…play. The raven knew that was what they were doing, knew that he was playing with Eren, and it was so different from any game the merman had ever known.

Eren raced at him again, no doubt planning some new mischief, but Levi pushed up and out of the water when the brunet was too close to change course. He caught hold of the mermaid when he fumbled mid-leap, rocking back on his tail muscles and holding the brunet up in the air in his arms for a few seconds. Eren gave an anxious whimper, ears flat against the sides of his head as he peered down at the ground. He squeaked in surprise or excitement, Levi wasn’t sure, but he seemed eager enough to find himself up high. The raven couldn’t hold the position for long, feeling his tail growing tired, so he let them tumble backwards into the water. Eren yelped at the shift in gravity, cradled safely against the merman’s chest as they keeled over. Levi’s tail shifted out of the way and the water broke their fall, sloshing up around them.

The mermaid coughed a little, spluttering until his mouth was free of water, and he twisted around to blink his wide eyes at the raven. The brunet’s hands slipped against the raven’s sides, scrambling for purchase against the wet, grey skin. Eren shook out his hair, letting out little whimpers that sounded more eager than nervous as the mermaid shifted around, trying to find a comfortable place to settle. Levi stretched out, relaxing out his back and watching the brunet’s struggle to find places for his hands to rest. They ended up in the water either side of the raven’s chest, clutching at stones on the lakebed, while his knees slipped against the dark scales of Levi’s tail.

A clawed hand rose out of the water, reaching up to cup the side of Eren’s neck with his palm, and the mermaid was hesitant to lean into the caress. He relaxed after a moment, moving his legs around until he settled with one either side of the merman’s tail.

Levi’s nostrils flared as he inhaled, watching the brunet scoot backwards until he was settled over a slightly narrower part of his tail so that his thighs wouldn’t be under quite as much strain. When he was comfortable, the mermaid stopped his wriggling about and snuffled once before he began to groom himself. The merman watched the pink of his mate’s tongue lapping at tanned skin, trying to distract himself from the softness of Eren’s thighs against his scales and the scorching heat of that pliant skin against the much cooler flesh of Levi’s tail. Such indulgent skin; it was warm, pliant and yielding against the bone, hard muscle and scale that made up Levi’s body.

A questioning mew sounded and the raven realised he had been caught staring. He clicked at the brunet a few times, tempting him to lean down. Eren rocked forward, sniffing at Levi’s mouth and along his jaw, cooing a soft sound in the back of his throat all the while.

It proved more than a little distracting. Levi could feel the warmth from Eren’s belly, so close but not touching his own stomach yet. The merman swallowed thickly, closing his eyes.

He didn’t want to hurt his little mate, but Eren’s scent, the heat of his skin, and the way he settled so easily over the raven’s pelvis was impossible to ignore. Levi could feel his resolve being chipped away, so he took action.

The merman made a single sound of warning before he rolled onto his side, sending a surprised Eren tumbling into the shallows. Levi held him carefully so that the mermaid wouldn’t be hurt by the fall, cradling his head until Eren righted himself with a little hum.

Levi didn’t give the brunet a chance to scamper off, though, wanting to keep him near but also wanting to take a break from holding back. It would be alright, just for now, to hold Eren.

Besides, Levi wanted to get used to this odd feeling of not being completely surrounded by his precious water. What better way to grow accustomed to it than to take a brief nap? His senses were sharp; he would wake at even a small sign of danger. And Eren would be safe in his arms. It was a good compromise, not to mention a big step if Eren could relax enough to sleep as well. Even if he was too tense for rest, this would be good bonding time for them and an opportunity for Eren to grow accustomed to Levi’s scent.

The brunet was already fidgeting, so Levi clucked at him as he settled properly onto his side and reached for the chittering youngster.

Eren looked back at him with a clicked query but did not resist much as he was hoisted up and brought against Levi’s chest. The little twerp must have realised that the merman was settling for sleep, though, because he whined and turned big, pleading eyes on the raven, no doubt wanting to entice him to play.

Levi huffed at him, not trusting himself to be able to play gently in the ways that Eren wanted him to. He would give it a little time, then perhaps indulge the brunet’s wishes.

Speaking of which, said brunet was busy trying to worm his way out of Levi’s hold.

The raven grunted, gathering the mermaid into his arms and tucking him into a ball against his front, holding the squirming creature in place with a firm grip. For a few moments there was peace and quiet filled the air as Eren remained in his bemused little ball, stunned into silence. He was probably recalling his time as a pup when one of the older mermaids would tuck him and other restless pups together to sleep.

Eren squirmed again, then, and a few seconds later his mop of damp hair popped out from Levi’s hold, the mermaid’s big eyes blinking wide. He looked around for a moment before settling his gaze on the merman’s face, letting out a questioning yip.

Levi just sighed, leaning forward to begin licking at one side of Eren’s face. His mouth curved up a little when the brunet eeped in surprise but closed one eye obediently as the raven’s tongue curled up to lap at his temple. A little bathing would help to calm the mermaid and hopefully get him drowsy. The young mermaid would be used to being groomed, Levi knew, but he was not surprised at all to find Eren’s face flushing coyly as he was bathed by his mate.

It didn’t take long for the brunet’s lids to start drooping and eventually the mermaid yawned wide, turning to settle himself against Levi’s chest. Eren’s head had to remain out of the water so that he could breathe, so Levi made sure to turn the boy’s head upwards to keep his mouth and nose out of the lake. The side of Eren’s face was against the raven’s chest, one of Levi’s arms curled under his head to cushion the mermaid’s skull.

Levi licked a few times at the brunet’s temple, listening to the content, humming purr that Eren responded with as he closed his eyes.

Finally…Levi could sleep knowing that he would not be alone when he woke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author-chan is tired.  
> Feedback, please. Thank you.  
> Also, lore for this fic is now on tumblr (http://haberkonium.tumblr.com/dark-waters_merfolklore) complete with lazy sketches and everything. I'm updating that as I go, but if you have any questions about this fic, try the lore page first. If you're still confused or if you notice that I've missed something, message me on tumblr, leave an ask, or drop a comment here and I'll try to answer all queries as best I can :)  
> Thanks for reading!


	4. Observe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not the longest or most exciting chapter ever, but here you go at last.

As afternoon wore on and the setting sun began to bathe the wetland forest in its warm saffron glow, the group of hiding researchers began to discuss heading back to camp.

“This is incredible!”

All but their leader. Hanji could clearly see the steadily dimming light but she waited longer and longer, scribbling away in her notebook at the speed of light. It was a wonder how she didn’t break her pencil even once.

“Tell me we’re getting footage of this?”

Hanji’s hissed words were excited even in their hushed tone and she couldn’t bear to tear her eyes away from her binoculars to speak. Moblit turned instead, eyeing their cameraman and waiting for some sort of reply.

Mike nodded calmly in answer to Hanji’s query, remaining unflinching even though he was covered in leaves and who knew what other grime from being out in the wilderness for days. They had only just found this spot today after over a week spent out in this remote area setting up their base camp and searching the surrounding area for signs of the merpeople they had been sent to observe. Mike’s sandy hair was mussed from creeping through the tall reeds and little smears of dirt could be seen on his clothes and face, but the big man did not appear to be bothered by the muck and filth of nature. Still holding his camera to keep it steady, Mike stuck one thumb skywards to motion affirmative to Hanji’s question.

Moblit quietly conveyed this to the brunette.

“How’s the quality?” Hanji asked, scrawling down a last note on her already crowded page before flipping to the next.

“The images are very clear, don’t worry. We’ve just about maxed the zoom, though.” Nanaba reported from under one of Mike’s arms, hiding from sight while also eyeing the camera. “Anything more would be too blurry to be useful.”

They kept their voices low, cautious even though the distance between their small party and the two merfolk was greater now than it had been earlier in the day. The pair’s courting had led them even further along the shore and both the merman and his smaller companion were currently curled up in the shallower waters. Hanji couldn’t have been happier that this pair was progressing so well. She had expected the merman to have done something wrong by now, maybe lost control of his urges or tricked the poor mermaid and tried to whisk him off into the waters before he had even gained his trust. For the most part mermen were well behaved during the courting phase but there were instances, particularly among older mermen, where the dominant would attempt to drag their desired mate into the water right off the bat. Suffice to say, those occurrences had very little chance of success in the long run and were thankfully uncommon.

Instead of caving to his instincts, the raven-haired merman had spent hours cooing and clicking at his little mermaid friend, even diving to catch him food while the submissive searched for a place to come down and meet him.

Hanji had felt both elated that this merman, a supposedly vicious creature, would take the time to go and get a meal for his mate. The mermaid had been a little confused when he couldn’t find the raven anywhere, unaware that he was down in the deeper parts of the lake looking for fish. Even Hanji had been confused for a moment when the merman had dived suddenly, but it became clear what he was doing when he surfaced for a brief moment to set the first fish on a rock before diving once more. And of course the mermaid had been too wary of the water to risk going out to get the food, playing and hunting for easier prey in the shallows.

And now they were resting together. It was almost too cute a sight to bear.

More than that, however, was the incredible evidence that these creatures could bring out such peace and playfulness in each other. Mermaids spent their days living with their pod and were relatively shy creatures. Mermen spend their days fighting with their other kin and anything else that encroaches on their territory. And yet bringing these two types together could make their personalities do a complete one hundred and eighty degree shift. So different even though they were the same species – it was a wonder how they could get along at all. But just being around one another could bring out the adventurous side in mermaids and the gentle, affectionate side of the usually aggressive mermen.

In Hanji’s humble opinion, it was nothing short of a miracle – nature’s design in all its perfect glory. And Mother Nature had always been good to her creations; merpeople were no different. When humanity took charge of the oceans, she sent her creations to the safety of the depths that even mankind found difficult to reach. But when that proved too taxing on the submissive merfolk, nature changed them again and sent them inland. Travelling over land and through the dense woods, jungles, and soaking wetlands that mermaids so enjoyed to take sanctuary in was a far more troublesome task for humans than simple trawling the oceans.

Hanji had to tip her metaphorical hat in respect for nature’s evasive approach to the evolution of its creations. In all the years that mankind had been around, their evolution had been quite slow. One might even argue that humans have stopped evolving – instead they change the world around them so that they no longer require the changing of their forms to survive. Mother Nature, it would seem, had given up on mankind. But she still cared for her planet and all the creatures that struggled on it because of man. The changes that mermaids had made were extreme considering how rapidly the change had taken place. What should have taken millions of years had instead taken hundreds.

Respect to that. Nature…you terrifying beast.

“Look at how gentle he’s being…” Hanji marvelled, pointing carefully in the merman’s direction. “Everything about him screams that he’s a predator; the teeth, the claws, the way he moves through the water like he’s constantly stalking prey. Our precious mermaid friend should feel fear just looking at him, but instead he’s snoozing. What a cutie.”

She passed her binoculars to Moblit, directing his gaze by tilting his head this way and that until he nodded that yes, he could see what she was talking about.

“That’s how they know which males are courting, right?” The brunette’s assistant asked, still peering intently through the binoculars.

“Precisely.” Hanji confirmed to his left and Moblit could picture the exact grin that she would be wearing. “Courting mermen give off pheromones that let the mermaids know that they mean no harm.” The brunette explained, speaking as quietly as she could manage. “But not every merman that comes across a mermaid is out to find a mate. The more violent males might even attack an unsuspecting mermaid.”

Behind them, Nanaba made a displeased sound. “That seems a bit cruel.”

Moblit and Hanji turned to look at her and the young man handed the binoculars back over wordlessly.

“They’re very territorial, remember.” Hanji reminded her comrade, wiping the lenses of her binoculars with the hem of her shirt.

“But they’re the same species.”

The brunette sighed, turning back to see if the mermaid had scampered off yet.

“Didn’t you read up on the notes I left?” The woman asked as she settled onto her stomach.

At the silence and no doubt identical look of guilt on all faces expect for Hanji’s (and Moblit’s; he always read the notes), the bespectacled woman sighed.

They had been in a rush to get here so she could forgive their forgetfulness. No matter, Hanji would just have to get them up to speed. The marine biologist pictured the information she had written out in a report for her crew before they had left.

“Alright, fine.” Hanji paused to make sure that everyone was paying attention before she began to hiss whisper the information that popped into her mind. “Remember that mermen live alone more often than not and therefore are inherently suspicious of all of their kin.”

“They have to survive on their own from a very young age and therefore are used to fighting for whatever scraps of food that they can find.” Moblit supplied helpfully.

Nodding, the brunette focused her gaze across the lake at the still-nuzzling merfolk and she continued.

“They’re used to fighting with most other mermen that they come across. Since mermaids look different to them, it is tricky for a merman to see them as anything but a threat. Thankfully their instincts are hardwired to recognise the scent of a submissive merperson.”

“So…” Nanaba started, pausing, “they can only recognise a mermaid as a part of their species by scent?”

“Bingo.” Was Hanji’s response. “You can’t blame them for acting out, especially when the mermaids look quite different from their male counterparts nowadays. What’s more is that mermen won’t go out of their way to court a mate unless they can find signs that a potential match for them is nearby. Not every merman will be drawn to court every mermaid they see, and vice versa.”

Courting could be tricky business, which was probably why willing partners gave off receptive scents to attract each other and limit the fear factor that could otherwise hinder a courting effort. That was Hanji’s firm belief at any rate.

“Scent is one of the things that give different signs and signals away,” the bespectacled woman continued to whisper, brushing hair out of her eyes, “although it’s hard for us to really measure what effect a mermaid’s scent has on mermen or vice versa seeing as we can’t smell it and we’ve never been able to study wild merpeople up close. The few that have been raised in captivity have never had to fight for their lives; they’ve had everything handed to them and because of that they’re almost completely different beings when it comes to how they behave.”

“So how does being raised in captivity affect their behaviour, then?” Nanaba asked.

If they got all of the lecturing done now, there would be less to discuss later and everyone could get a decent night’s sleep. Hanji didn’t blame the others for making her cough up her share of the conversation now; working with these people for as long as she had done had given them plenty of knowledge on how to deal with her.

If anything, Hanji was proud of her team.

“It’s difficult to explain.” She began, hesitating as she looked for an accurate way to explain what she was thinking. “Basically…I guess it throws their instincts off? There’s no drive, no urge to hunt since they’re fed every day without even having to go looking, and barely any mating drive since they’re never raised in close contact with each other. There has never been a capture of a mermaid _and_ a merman together, so we can have no idea how they would react towards each other if they were raised together. Would a merman still become violent and aggressive if he grew up with a mermaid around? How would it affect both of their behaviours?” The brunette fell quiet, letting all that she had said sink into her team’s heads. “Seeing as merpeople are so different in the wild, we’re out here to document those differences. Well…we’re here to document anything, really.”

Hanji fell quiet after that, the silence strangely melancholy in the wake of those last few words. This was her life’s work, her pride and joy, and it was all she could have dreamed of to be there observing merpeople in the flesh. Her twelve year old self would have screamed if she’d known that one day something so special would happen.

As the sun sank lower in the sky, the little party of humans cleared out as silently as they could manage. The trek back to their base camp wasn’t extraordinarily far, but it did lead them through the forest in very little light at this time of day.

It was a tough job getting out here to such a remote place. There were no roads here, no nearby towns – for miles and miles the land continued on without a sign of mankind to be found. It was beautiful, but treacherous. An expedition like this was dangerous; if something went wrong they were on their own with only their medical kits for aid. Each one of the group had taken a risk coming out to learn and, as such, this mission was crucially important to all of them, even if each member cared in their own way.

About three quarters of an hour later the group were settled in their shelters, enjoying their downtime. Mike was busy cleaning the tripod for his camera, still debating over whether or not he should take it with him tomorrow. Moblit was revising the notes that Hanji had scrawled throughout the day, Nanaba was busy setting up a laptop with the power they had from their portable solar generators.

Hanji sat staring into the little side screen on Mike’s camera, going over the footage they had captured.

“Here,” the brunette waved Moblit over and the man leaned across to peer at the little screen, “see how the merman is deliberately putting all his energy into courting this mermaid? It took him hours but he’s finally earned his mate’s trust.”

Moblit smiled at the woman’s enthusiasm and leaned back onto his own bedroll, setting Hanji’s notes next to her now that he had finished going over them.

“The fact that they’re able to rest together and be so at ease says wonders for their courtship already.” Hanji continued to murmur, mostly to herself. “If loverboy there keeps up his hard work, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were mated in a few days.”

Moblit gave a hum of acknowledgement, preparing to go to sleep.

“What do you think they’ll do next?” He asked.

Hanji was caught in a rare moment of complete and utter silence as she thought and her brows pulled together.

“Well they haven’t experimented with their courting displays yet. From what we’ve been able to observe in the past, the mating colours of both mermen and mermaids are quite sensitive but only between dominants and submissives. If another mermaid touched this little fellow’s mating colours it would probably feel more soothing than arousing. But we’ll see how he reacts when his merman friend makes a move. It’s a learning experience for them both.”

Discussion tapered off after that as the other team members ate their supper and chattered away about this and that.

Not Hanji, though. The brunette still had a few minutes of film to skim over. She had skipped ahead through some of the footage, analysing the rest with a critical eye.

Reviewing the film put Hanji’s mind at ease. She sat on her bedroll in their aloft shelter, a pencil in hand and her notepad in her lap. They had plenty of good shots and Hanji was pleasantly surprised to even hear some of the sounds that their pair of merpeople made.

The brunette stared intently as some of their last footage of the day – the last moments of the brunet mermaid and his mate. Across the lake from where they had been situated, the dozing pair stirred. It had been getting late and Hanji had guessed that the mermaid would be anxious to return to his pod very soon. The little brunet began to squirm, whimpering back at the sleepy merman until he relaxed his hold enough for the smaller creature to get free. He didn’t go far, remaining near to nuzzle the raven goodbye. Realising that his mermaid was leaving, the merman shook off his drowsiness and showered the petite creature he was courting with affection.

The biologist had considered moving their party closer, wanting to get as much good footage of this encounter as possible, but if they disturbed the pair now it could add days onto the time it would take for the merman to win over his mate. That would have been one of the worst things that could happen as it would only make the raven-haired male more aggressive. In fact Hanji wouldn’t be surprised if he tried to come out of the water after them for daring to interrupt his efforts.

It had been better to stay put. They did have good cameras after all and Nanaba could probably enhance the film anyway once they got back to their lab in the city. That wouldn’t be for a while, though.

Hanji clicked her tongue in thought, twirling a pencil in her hand.

“We’ll see if we can get a bit closer tomorrow,” she thought aloud, chewing idly on the end of her pencil, “or at least find a better spot.”

“We have to stay down wind.” Mike reminded their leader, ever-wary of the keen senses of the creatures they were studying.

“I’ll go check the weather reports.” Nanaba murmured from the back corner, immediately moving to adjust their satellite so that she could use their computer.

Thank God for enhanced solar generators.

Squinting into binoculars all day had been beginning to give Hanji a headache, but watching the clips that their camera had captured was quickly soothing any and all ache the brunette had been feeling as she was filled with excitement.

Hanji observed the little screen in her hands keenly.

The mermaid they had been observing (catalogued as S-mt-U17) had made a big leap of faith on his first day of courting and had gone down to meet the merman (catalogued as DS-U28) in a shallower part of the banks. Watching the exchange as the mermaid led his suitor around the edge of the lake as he searched for a safe place to go down warmed Hanji’s heart and she acknowledged that she was rather fond of these two creatures already. They just seemed so sweet in their interactions, nothing like how they might act towards a human or another threat.

Hanji’s eyes narrowed as she observed the film, watching the zoom move in until it was just beginning to get a little blurry around the edges, but it wasn’t so bad. The mermaid’s little trip took him and his mate further away from the group of observing humans but their equipment could still pick up what was happening.

They would need to get to the lake early tomorrow so that they could get to a promising location and hide themselves away. If the merman caught sight of them he would be pissed and Hanji wasn’t sure what the raven might do if he thought his mate was under threat.

If they were going to get there early, the whole team would need to sleep now.

“Alright, everyone to bed. We have to be up as the sun rises. It’ll get light quickly and we have to be able to get to the lake before then. But we’ll need enough light to see, so the alarm is set for 5:40AM. That should give us enough time before dawn breaks properly and we can use the torches until we get to the lake itself.”

The camp the team had set up for themselves was located on the edge of where the forest began. It was set up in the trees in specially camouflaged to avoid detection by forest creatures. Hanji had specially designed most of the equipment for their base camp, including something called a Silent Generator which wasn’t exactly silent so much as quiet. It was quiet enough, though. The biologist had been specific in her instructions that they were not to disturb the native wildlife. This forest and the marshland and watery plains beyond belonged to the merpeople in the area and they depended on this environment to survive. The team was only there to observe them.

Although the traps kept towards the back of one of the hideaways suggested otherwise. Hanji wanted to capture a pair of merpeople alive, but there had never been a good opportunity. Maybe sometime later in the trip she could try again?

For now, though, observation came first. They couldn’t afford to spoil the mission with rash actions.

“Who would’ve thought we’d find such an ideal spot?” Hanji chattered away happily, pouring over the pages upon pages of notes that she had taken down during the day for the last time before sleeping.

The only light she had to work by was coming from a solar powered lantern but it would do. She wouldn’t be using it for long, anyway.

Gathering all the pages together, the brunette pushed her notepad and papers away towards the side of the shelter for a closer analysis tomorrow. They still had a lot to do and the morning was steadily creeping closer with every minute that passed.

“Nanaba, tomorrow we’ll report our findings back to HQ.” Hanji stated, rolling onto her back and closing her eyes. “I’m sure they’ll want to hear about this.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Came the answering response.

The shelter fell silent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not thrilled with this chapter but it'll do. Feedback (if you have any) is always welcome, and if you're confused about anything don't hesitate to ask either here or on tumblr (http://haberkonium.tumblr.com).  
> Sorry about this chapter, guys. I'll do better.


	5. Home

The very first star had appeared in the sky by the time Eren scampered away from Levi, having tried his best to comfort the dismayed merman when the raven figured out Eren was leaving. Eren didn’t want to leave, but it was getting dark and as the sky shifted from orange and pink to darkening purple the mermaid began to grow anxious. He still had to travel through the forest to get back home and that would be more dangerous the darker it got. So Eren cooed his last goodbyes, squirming out of Levi’s grip and ignoring the way the raven crooned to him and licked him until the brunet was free. Eren couldn’t afford to be tempted back by the shrill and distressed whistling that the merman began to make, but he made a few sounds of his own to calm the raven.

Eren would be back, he promised this to himself and to his dark-haired mate.

That was the term for Levi. He was Eren’s mate. Well…still a suitor at this point, but it was obvious even to the brunet that they had both decided enough about each other to know that they would be a good match. Eren had realised it as the day wore on, and he had recalled the label after waking from a dream. Yes, Eren could dream, although to a mermaid it is more like remembering something very clearly. The brunet thought back on his dream as he darted away from the lake and plunged into the forest. Past the tree line everything was darker thanks to the thick canopy that blocked out a good deal of the light. Thankfully Eren’s eyes adjusted quite quickly, allowing him to make out shapes in the gloom, and as he travelled along he recalled the memories that had filled his head while he had slept in Levi’s arms.

His dream had been about the first time that the brunet had ever learned about the notion of having a mate. Eren had discovered this a couple of years back when one of his podmates (a friendly mermaid whose name was Marco) had started to wander away from their home pond during the day.

Eren had been fifteen at the time, still spending his days rolling around with the mermaids his age and younger, acting up for the older mermaids because that’s just what youngsters did.

But Marco had all of a sudden seemed less inclined to play with them, spending his days picking at the grass or gazing up at the glimpses of sky through gaps in the trees and asking silent questions with his newly-restless eyes. And then one day the dark-haired mermaid had wandered off. Eren had thought nothing of it, as had most of their pod, chalking it up to an adventurous quest for food.

When Marco didn’t return until the sky had changed from brilliant blue to quiet mauve, Eren wondered if something might be troubling his older friend. Approaching the freckled mermaid, however, disproved that thought in an instant; Eren had never seen Marco looking happier, more alive, than he did that evening. His eyes were wide, alive with so many things; intrigue, joy, maybe even a little hesitance.

That evening was the first time Eren heard anyone say mate. It was a quiet sound, a sort of hushed purr that quavered towards the end like a trembling croon. Short, soft, and intimate; it was unlike anything Eren had ever heard before and he instantly wanted to know more. He bothered Marco whenever the freckled mermaid was around (which was not all that often as he sneaked away most days) and over the course of about a week Eren was told about a hundred miraculous things.

Marco told him about a thing called the sea; a vast expanse of water that stretched all the way to the horizon and beyond. He learned about how there were creatures in this ‘sea’ that were so large that they wouldn’t be able to fit into their home pond. He heard stories of cliffs and trees that grew right out of the rock faces themselves, about beaches and shells and strange fish.

And then he heard about another kind of creature, the only kind that could fascinate Marco enough to bring him back to the same spot day after day.

Marco called it _him_. He told Eren about how he finally knew what happened to the pups they had to carry away, the ones with tails that only ever stayed for a few weeks. He knew where they lived, what they looked like, and now one of them was his friend.

It all sounded so wonderful.

Until the day Marco didn’t come back. Evening stretched into night, and night into dawn, then day. The freckled mermaid did not return. What was worse was how the older pod members didn’t seem to notice. Either that or they weren’t worried about it like Eren was. He has asked and asked, whining at the elders pleadingly.

 _Where is Marco? Why isn’t he here_?

But no one would tell him. The best he ever got was from their oldest mermaid, a withering creature with grey hair and a wise gaze. She had looked down at Eren with a smile that the brunet had no hope of understanding, for how could a smile look so sad? The only thing she had told him had not made sense until now.

_You’ll find out for yourself one day._

Eren had gone looking for Levi without knowing that he was seeking him. The urge to wander had been strong but Eren had not known why he wanted to explore so far from his pod. Their home pond was safe, so why was he moving so quickly to get away from it?

The brunet had known in a moment that the fierce looking creature he spotted in the lake was the exact thing he had been searching for.

Had Marco felt the same thing when he had first seen his own merman friend? Had he also spent those days away from their pond playing and snoozing? The brunet hoped so for it had been one of the most comforting experiences of his life to sleep with Levi holding him. Eren was not sure why he felt safe in that cool embrace but he acknowledged it. Levi was strong and fierce. He could protect Eren. Maybe that was why he was comforting to be around (if a little scary at times).

Eren remembered when Marco had returned after spending weeks away from their main pond. Life in the pod had gone back to normal, like they weren’t missing a member who had previously been family. When the first shrill call had reached them, the elder mermaids all moved at once while Eren’s mind had to race to catch up.

Someone had been calling for help. That someone sounded exactly like Marco. Marco needed help.

At the time Eren had feared for his friend, unsure what could have possibly happened to him. The brunet had been unprepared for what he saw when the elders came back.

Marco had been with them and that should have been a good thing…but the freckled mermaid was different. He looked thinner in places, although there was one place that he was most definitely not thinner. Marco’s once-flawless skin was covered in an array of marks, some pink and others faded to silver. Little ovals, they were. Eren wondered where they came from. He wondered why Marco was shaking so badly and why his stomach was so swollen.

Eren learned where pups came from that day. He had always been busy playing with his podmates before and returning to find new pups in and around their pond had become normal. He guessed it made sense that the little creatures had to come from somewhere and that somewhere would be the mermaids that went wandering. After all every pup that stayed eventually grew up, and they all shared the same form, of course they were from mermaids.

The brunet had wanted to question Marco, to ask where he had been and why his skin had different markings now. Whenever he got close, though, the elders would shoo him away with orders to go and get food.

Reluctantly, Eren had obeyed. He had scuttled off to pull up as many soft roots as he could find, washing the soil from them in a puddle at the foot of one of his favourite trees. When he came back he was at least allowed to give the food to Marco and seeing his former podmate up close was shocking.

How long had he been away again? How could he change like this?

Physically, apart from the markings and the bulge that was now his stomach, Marco was the same. But the childish mirth in his eyes was gone, replaced with some sort of dark understanding that Eren never wanted to ask about. The older mermaid still smiled up at him, purring his thanks when the brunet offered him food with trembling hands, but Eren could see through the layer of gratefulness in his eyes. Deeper, past his usual cheeriness, Marco had seen something. It was dark and Eren had no idea what could have put that gloomy understanding in those eyes. It frightened him.

What had he seen out there? What had he gone through that could steal his smile away and replace it with the same wise look that the elders sometimes got in their clear orbs?

For the very first time in his life, Eren did not want to know the answer to his questions.

He had hidden behind a tree with his friends, peeping around the side to see what was happening. It took a while but eventually things calmed down. Marco stopped keening and the elders stopped fussing.

When Eren went over again, Marco wasn’t the only one in the pond.

What a strange day that had been. The freckled mermaid had left their pod in secret, creeping away in the night, and weeks later he had returned to them whimpering and full of pups. Eren’s initial fear for his friend increased tenfold, not faltering even when Marco assured him that he had not been mistreated. The pregnant mermaid had even smelled different; his scent was mixed with something…someone that Eren had never smelled before.

Only the young mermaids seemed to be troubled by Marco’s state. The older few had this resigned air about them like they understood exactly what was going on. Eren remembered how he had wished that he was that wise, but he had only been a young thing back then.

It had been easy to listen to Marco’s stories, hearing about the glittering sea and the salty taste of _his_ skin. Marco never revealed who this special _him_ was; he would only ever speak about him, about the way his colours shone in the sun like a beacon. At the time Eren was enraptured by the tale even though he could not imagine it for himself.

Now…Eren thought he might understand what Marco meant. After all this time, Eren had finally found his own friend whose colours caught the sun like the mother of pearl shells that Marco had brought back from the sea. The sea that Marco's special _him_ had come from. Eren did not know what the sea tasted like, for Levi didn’t taste like the ocean. Levi tasted like rain. His skin looked like the sky on a cloudy day and his eyes held all the darkness of a storm.

He was beautiful and terrifying, neither one nor the other but both at the same time.

Eren wondered what Marco's friend had been like.

Marco had stayed in their pond for the handful of hours it took him to whelp his pups and the older pod members kept a close eye on him while the younger podmates went to find food for the exhausted mermaid. Soft things like berries and plant roots were brought to keep Marco fed.

That was also the first time Eren had ever been aware of new pups arriving to their pod. He had taken it for granted whenever new faces had turned up, but it was something startling and exciting to see that one of his friends, his podmate, had brought them new friends to raise and play with.

There were three pups in Marco’s litter, two tiny mermen and one mermaid, a little female (who was secretly Eren’s favourite out of all of them). They didn’t know their names yet but they were determined to learn about their world and Eren loved watching them play. He tried to join in but they were so small he was always worrying about crushing them. That and one of the little males tried to eat his toe, the little rascal.

It had been an entertaining number of weeks having pups around and Eren was sad to see the two mermen go. After they had been properly weaned off of milk and persuaded into eating fish, some of the older mermaids carried the two male pups off for goodness knows where. The sea, perhaps? That wonderful place Marco had told Eren about? Surely a place like that couldn’t be so bad?

Eren wondered what would happen to the little pups, still small enough to be carried by their scruff. Worry plagued the brunet but he still played with the remaining pup to distract her from the fact that her brothers were gone.

Mother gone, brothers gone…it was a sad life that this poor little pup had been born into. At least she had the pod for family now. Eren wondered why Marco had left again.

The freckled mermaid had only spent a few days with them after returning. He had been so happy, though, fawning over his litter of squeaking little pups like he never wanted to leave them. But he did leave. By the time he had left their pod Marco had been jittery and anxious to return to his mate.

Looking back on those days, Eren acknowledged that he knew a lot more about his world now. There were still things he did not understand. He wondered if he would be the same way with Levi that Marco seemed to be with his mate? Would he be drawn away from his pod, who were like family to him? Would they cease to matter once he and Levi…

The thoughts only made the brunet anxious. He didn’t want to change, not like Marco had changed. He didn’t want to have the same, dark understanding. Marco had still been happy, but he would hardly interact with any of his podmates. Eren remembered how the freckled mermaid had been reluctant to even tell any of his pod what his mate’s name was.

They still had no idea what his merman was called.

But…Eren thought that maybe he did understand that now. He understood why Marco had not told anyone else his mate’s name. It was something intimate. Precious. Eren didn’t want to so much as tell anyone that he had even made a new friend, let alone the fact that the brunet was almost entirely sure that they were going to be mates. He couldn’t even imagine telling someone else that his suitor was called _Levi_. That was something special, something that Eren had earned for himself. It had taken time, all day in fact, and that effort was Eren’s and Eren’s alone. Why should he tell anyone else? And besides, Armin and Issy and the other young mermaids back at the pod would one day find their partners as well – Eren couldn’t imagine that they would want to share much information about their mates either. They would understand if he was standoffish or distant. One day they would learn why something so simple could be so important, just as Eren understood it now.

A high-pitched squeak cut through the brunet’s focus and he was pulled out of his thoughts by the excited sound. Eren looked up in time to be pounced on, catching sight of a mop of messy blonde hair before they both crashed to the forest floor.

Armin must have been worried about him. Another mermaid, one of Eren’s closest friends and favourite company in their entire pod. Armin was a year younger than Eren and his skin was free of any colours. The excitable little fellow had hair like the little yellow flowers that grew in spring here and pale skin. Eren suspected that he would get a little more colour to his skin if he started going out in the sun more. His hair would probably lose some of its vibrant gold too, but it wouldn’t be a terrible change.

Eren sat up with a happy yip, sending the little blonde tumbling off him. He hadn’t realised how close to home he had gotten, too caught up in thoughts and memories to notice much in the gloom except for the direction he was going. He had been able to smell the faint traces of his own scent from this morning when he had wandered out and that had been enough to guide him back. Eren hadn’t expected Armin to come racing out to greet him, although it was a nice welcome. The little blonde rolled through the puddle-ridden ground and leapt up to sniff at the brunet.

His nose wrinkled and a confused sound left Armin’s throat. Eren winced, knowing that he would probably still have some of Levi’s scent on his skin. Armin didn’t recognise it.

Eren couldn’t help it…he told Armin about his friend. Not everything, not even most of it. But the brunet mimed out how big the lake was with his hands and how strange his merman looked without legs. Armin listened and watched in awe, squeaking his excitement. It was hard to describe some things but Eren focused on what he could explain like the way the trees broke away into a flatter, grassy area just before the lake, or the taste of the fish that Levi had caught for him. They had eaten them between naps; Levi had gone to collect the few fish off the rock he had left them on and brought them back to the shallower water when Eren woke up and whined for food.

The two made their way back to the main pond, splashing through puddles here and there and digging their claws into the wet ground for purchase. Around this part of the forest the ground was more puddle than dirt and everything was green. All of the trees had little strings of moss hanging onto their trunks, making the rougher bark soft to the touch. Eren liked it here; everything was soft and cool, but not so cold as to be unpleasant. Their pond was even better than the beautiful forest that surrounded it. The water was always a comfortable temperature and there was always some kind of little fish swimming about in there. They were tasty, but the pod was clever enough to know that they should look elsewhere for food or else their supply of fish would quickly run out. That was another reason why the pod travelled about a network of ponds instead of remaining at the same location all year round. Before their food sources could be depleted too badly, the older mermaids would lead the pod to one of their other locations. Usually, unless some crisis or threat arose, the pod would rotate through each area in the same order. That was just easier and it usually left plenty of time for their previous sites to recover.

Eren looked up when they broke through into the grove where their main pond was located. The sky had darkened by this point but the brunet’s eyes had adjusted to the dark enough for him to see. When it got especially dark in the forest, the moon was normally able to provide enough light for them through little gaps in the canopy.

The first thing Eren noticed was the sudden staring of probably every member of his pod. Shrinking a little under the sudden scrutiny, the brunet managed a brief, stuttered squeak in greeting. He swallowed, wondering if he had made a bad decision just wandering off without telling anyone. Risking a glance at the elders, Eren quickly learned that they looked cross. Maybe cross was a bit harsh, but they did appear to have been worrying.

The pod erupted into quiet sound; the questioning chittering of the younger mermaids and the disapproving clicks of the older ones.

One of the elders rose up, moving to inspect the newly-returned mermaid, and Eren whimpered an apology. He really hadn’t meant to give them all such a scare. The brunet had only wanted was to see what sorts of things he could find outside of their pod and he didn’t regret the adventure he had gone through today.

Armin skittered away, scrambling for the cover of a nearby patch of ferns. Eren winced, ducking his head and sitting back on his legs. His fingers tensed in the grass, claws digging into the dirt in his anxiousness. He had been in trouble with the elders before, although that had only been for waking them up after a spectacularly not-thought-through dive into the pond from the low-hanging branches of one of the trees. His punishment then had been to go forage for the rest of the day and that hadn’t been too bad. This, he suspected, was a little more serious.

Eren pressed his ears back against his head, waiting while the elder pushed him around to inspect his skin for injuries. She seemed happy enough that he wasn’t hurt, but when the older mermaid scented him she rocked back and when Eren looked up there was a wide-eyed look of worry in the elder’s eyes.

Had he done something wrong? Eren whimpered, feeling worry building in his chest too. If he had made the oldest in their pod look this way, then there must be something horribly wrong. The elders had the most experience of their world; they knew when something wasn’t right. But Eren couldn’t think of what he had done that was worrisome enough to scare their eldest like this.

He listened to the scolding lecture that he was given, keeping his eyes glued to the ground in equal parts respect and dismay. Elder knew where he had been – they could smell the lake water on his skin – and Eren was told that there was a reason that the lake was dangerous.

Mermen are dangerous. All of the older mermaids said so.

Eren couldn’t believe that.

_I don’t understand._

According to the elders, he didn’t have to understand. In fact if you did understand, Eren was told that it would already be too late. The only way to understand how dangerous a merman could be was to see their violence in action.

_They’re hunters._

_They’re killers._

_They’ll hurt you._

_Eren, don’t go back to the lake._

But he was so nice…

Eren didn’t want to argue with his pod but he also didn’t want to hear them accuse Levi of hurting him when the raven had been nothing but kind. His attempts to convince his clan of this were met with disapproval and the whole pod was ordered to bed. They had already eaten, no doubt when Eren was still heading for home, so the young brunet settled down for the night without supper.

He wasn’t happy to rest on an empty stomach, but what was worse was that Eren had to sleep away from the other young mermaids so that he wouldn’t spread his theories amongst them. The elders didn’t want any others in their pod wandering off to find the lake.

Whatever it was about the mermen that the pod’s elders had seen and experienced must have been truly frightening. After all most of their older pod members were those who had never taken a mate. Could mermen really be that bad? Eren hadn’t thought so, not after the lovely day he had spent with Levi. But…his pod would not shun or chastise him for no reason. They clearly believed that he had done something of terrible risk and this was his punishment.

That night Eren fell asleep cold and hungry and just a little bit disappointed with himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit later than expected, but not too bad I hope. Next chapter Levi and Eren spend their second day together and I promise poor baby Eren will be in good hands. His pod doesn't hate him, they're just trying to teach him a lesson. They care about him.  
> Feedback would be appreciated and I'm always open to constructive criticism.


	6. Comfort

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bro. Dude. Bruh. The summary for this chapter is literally “they kiss”. LITERAL FISH KISS. Remember those words and you’ll understand that joke in a bit.
> 
> This switches between Eren and Levi’s POVs, ignore me :p Also! I’m using “mer” as a kind of abbreviated version of “merperson” so that I can refer to Eren and Levi without always having to be like, “and then the merman did this”. It’s not a typo; author-chan did it on purpose. Nobody panic.

Morning came with the shrill screech of birds preparing for their daily hunting. Life in the canopy always started earlier than the life of creatures living below, but on this particular morning one creature stirred on the forest floor.

Eren crawled away from his pod before the sun had even risen, cold and stiff-limbed. The brunet had hoped that at least one of his pod might have taken pity on him during the night and come to sleep next to him, but he woke up alone. Eren’s stomach cramped with hunger pangs and the mermaid was torn between looking for food and going straight to the lake. He felt a little guilty for ignoring the elders and their advice to him but he had never slept alone before and the need for company and warmth overrode the notion of listening to the creatures who had shunned him.

Hurrying through the hush and murmur of the forest’s early morning risers beginning their day, Eren felt all the emotional repercussions of yesterday evening start to creep up on him. He tried to remember if anything like this had ever happened to Marco, but the brunet had been younger then and more focused on sleeping and playing with his friends.

Eren wondered if Marco had spent all that time away from their pod because he had been isolated. It made sense, even if the brunet didn’t want to believe it. Then…had their pod been the ones to drive the freckled mermaid away even as they tried to inform him of his danger?

Trying to save someone was the easiest way to drive them away, it would seem.

The brunet bravely held off tears as he scurried along, picking up his pace as the scent of the lake grew stronger in the air. There was a thick layer of fog floating through the forest now, probably following the twists and bends of the river nearby but still clinging to the lake. When Eren broke through the tree line he was consumed by cool mist on all sides. The brunet squinted, trying to see further through the whiteness, but it was a vain effort. He would just have to get closer.

Padding along, the sniffling mermaid felt his way along the damp ground. He didn’t want to move too quickly just in case he lost his footing. The last thing Eren wanted was to fall into the lake, particularly since the shore was steep on most sides.

A draft of air stirred and the fog cleared just enough for Eren to see the ominous black of the lake before him, only a few metres away. He shuddered at the sight of it, hating the stillness of the surface that spoke of calm tranquillity. It was a lie, a deceptive façade of nature. Below lurked a hundred different lifeforms and only a handful of them wouldn’t try to kill Eren on sight.

Pushing aside his anxiousness, the mermaid called out. His voice shook, betraying his emotional state, but Eren continued to whimper and wait for his calls to be answered. He didn’t know if Levi was awake yet. He didn’t know where Levi’s home or lair or wherever he stayed at night was located. Eren didn’t even know what kind of mood he would find the raven in. All he did know was that there was nowhere else for him to go to find company that wouldn’t try to lecture him.

Eren cried out louder, hearing his own voice echo mournfully.

Where was Levi?

 

Several hundred metres away, under the water and in the submerged part of his cave, Levi stirred. He couldn’t recall what had woken him, stretching out with a lazy groan that the surrounding water muted.

A sound reached his ears, warped and therefore from above the water, and Levi’s ears flicked forwards towards the noise. It came again.

 _Eren_. It had to be.

Levi darted from his cave, eager to get to his little mate. He was confused – if he hadn’t already woken then it must have been early indeed – but the thought of Eren willingly seeking him out so early made his initial worry fade. Levi wondered what he could do to win the brunet over today? Maybe he could try to get Eren comfortable with the deeper water? The raven figured by now that the mermaid couldn’t swim very well, seeing how he had avoided leaving the shallower water at all. It had to be more than just fear of Levi himself.

Maybe Levi could teach his mermaid to swim? Although with the differences in their bodies that would probably prove difficult.

The raven approached the surface and his eyes narrowed at a curious observer waiting several metres below. Another merman, one that Levi knew well. His name was Farlan and he and the raven had grown up in nearby reefs back when they had been pups. They had often fought one another, mostly to practice and hone their skills. Levi had only fought Farlan once in earnest and that had been a day ago, shortly after Eren had arrived at the lake. The blonde merman still bore the wounds from their fight, although he had given up fairly quickly to the raven.

Erwin had been the real challenge. He was huge, bigger than most mermen that the raven had seen and clever, but he had been no match for Levi’s speed. You couldn’t outmatch what you couldn’t keep up with. The big blonde had taken the loss poorly; he was still sulking in his cave even now. Levi could feel those sullen eyes on him, but Erwin wouldn’t dream of causing trouble. He had lost and, despite his current moodiness, he was an honourable creature.

Farlan also honoured the fact that Levi had won their brawl, but he was far more curious about the mermaids than Erwin appeared to be. The smaller blonde was still young and Levi could forgive his curiosity. It didn’t stop him from charging the blonde. There was threat to the action, but Levi knew that the other merman wouldn’t put up a fight. He chased Farlan away, shooing the curious merman before he could get any ideas about trying to meet a mermaid for himself. This mermaid was already spoken for and Levi would sooner die than surrender the progress he had made to another.

Satisfied now that he was the only merman out and about in this part of the lake, Levi swam up and broke the surface of the water with his head. He blinked water out of his eyes, letting his second set of lids carry the moisture away so that he could see.

What he did see, though, was a troubling sight.

Eren sat by the edge of the lake, hunched over and trembling. His ears were pressed against his skull and the brunet’s limbs were rigid and shaking.

Was he frightened?

Levi made a sound to let Eren know he was there, not wanting to startle the trembling creature, but the brunet looked up with hope in his eyes instead of the fear that the raven had been expecting. The merman made to swim closer but a muffled sob stopped him dead. His dark eyes snapped up, narrowing in on Eren’s face, and those harsh pools widened when Levi saw that his little mate was weeping.

The merman panicked, trying to think of what could be wrong with the mermaid. Was Eren sick? Was he hurt? Was this somehow Levi’s fault?

The raven trilled in concern, flicking his ears forward at the soft sound of Eren’s sad sniffling. Eren began to wail aloud, tears running down his face, and he crawled forwards to pause by the very edge of the shore. The brunet was openly seeking comfort and Levi moved on instinct.

The shore was steep here, but Levi surged up with a few pushes of his powerful tail muscles. He reached one grey arm up to dig into the dirt of the shore, hauling himself high enough to wrap his other arm around the whimpering mermaid’s shoulders. A purr stirred in Levi’s chest and the merman gripped the back of Eren’s neck firmly, hoping that his actions would be enough to comfort the brunet.

Eren stiffened for a split second before his body went lax and he blubbered in the merman’s hold. Levi felt a tight discomfort building in his chest with every miserable, whining sob that wracked his little mate’s form. All he could do was croon and hope that the low vibrations would calm Eren down.

That seemed to be the least of his worries, however. Eren’s skin was cold even against the raven’s cooler-than-average flesh and Levi’s concern skyrocketed. The mermaid should have felt like fire under his touch, not cool. Levi rumbled a question, still rubbing the side of his face against Eren’s head. He spread his scent there, hoping that the pheromones would have a positive effect on the brunet and maybe lift him out of his grief.

A moment passed and Eren’s shuddering sobs quietened to softer sniffles. The miserable trembling eased to a slight shivering and, while it wasn’t a perfect fix, Levi was relieved. He asked again, a low and questioning sound reverberating in his chest, and this time Eren answered his query.

The smaller creature shuddered in his hold and started to whimper and sob about his pod. Levi had only ever seen pods in passing, watching them travel to new areas in search of food or better shelter from the seasons. The merman had no idea how a pod might interact with each other, but from the looks of the brunet it wasn’t pleasant. Levi tightened his hold on the mermaid and licked at Eren’s ear as he listened to the sad little mer.

Eren whined and chittered softly about how some of his podmates had chastised him and left him to sleep alone. To the raven, sleeping alone was all he knew. He couldn’t imagine how it would feel to be an outcast among familiar creatures, but clearly it was distressing. He listened intently to the whimpers and sad clicks that Eren gave, telling Levi about how cold it had been and how the night sounds of the forest were a lot scarier when you were on your own. Then the brunet cried about how his stomach felt hollow because he hadn’t eaten since the day before.

No wonder he was distraught. The merman had watched Eren eat several times throughout yesterday, seeking out small fish and plants. Skipping meals couldn’t have been good for him.

Levi crooned low in his throat, trying his best to calm the crying mermaid. He wasn’t only freezing but starving and, after his mistreatment, Eren had chosen to come and find the merman. Levi was hit with the sudden responsibility he had and the trust it must have taken for Eren to sneak away from his pod so early. The brunet’s pod was all he knew, yet here he was. The poor thing just wanted a little friendly company and the need to provide that overrode anything else.

Clicking for Eren’s attention, Levi gave a short bark to let the brunet know that he was going to get him something to eat. As much as the raven didn’t want to leave his mate while he was distressed, it was something that had to be done. The mermaid seemed just as conflicted, wanting to eat but not wanting to be left alone, and Eren whined his uncertainty. All Levi could do was try to comfort him, crooning and promising to return quickly before diving below the inky surface of the lake.

Levi was just as quick as he had promised, rising up out of the water several times to place fish on the shore in the spans of about two minutes. He broke through the surface for a final time and swam for the shore. A silvery fish was caught in his jaws, still pitifully struggling for freedom even though most of its bones were crushed by the merman’s bite. Levi pushed up out of the water with a few practiced swishes of his powerful tail, grabbing onto the dirt of the bank for purchase. He relaxed his jaw, dropping the fish onto the grassy shore, and beat it until it was still. He had done so for the last three fish he had dropped there.

Eren watched the process in silence and his weeping died down to an occasional sniffle. The raven was keenly aware of the mermaid’s stare as he braced himself on his elbows so that he could work with his hands, and he set about pulling the backbone from the fish one by one. Little bones wouldn’t do the brunet much harm but Levi didn’t want Eren to have to struggle with his first meal of the day.

Using his hooked claws, the merman pulled each fish apart and laid out little strips and chunks of meat in front of the mermaid. Satisfied with the offer, Levi sank back into the water until it came up to his nose and he kept watch while Eren had his fill. It only took a little coaxing to get the brunet to start eating and Eren was so relieved to have food that he started to whimper again. The mermaid was too focused on eating to even keep a wary eye on the merman. Eren scarfed down each morsel that he got his mouth around, trying to remember to chew. When the smaller mer choked briefly in his eagerness, Levi took over.

He rose out of the water, pulling himself up and giving a short, disgruntled bark. The brunet winced at the authoritative tone and dropped the piece of fish in his mouth obediently, hunching in on himself like he thought he was in trouble.

Levi sighed at the trembling mermaid and clucked reassurances at him. If Eren’s pod had been unkind to him, then Levi couldn’t show him unkindness too. The mermaid would probably sit in the forest wailing for days on end if he thought he didn’t have a place to go where he would have safety and company. So the raven hushed his mate’s whimpers while he bent to take pieces of the fish into his mouth, mashing the food with sharp teeth until it could be more easily swallowed. He leaned forward, ignoring the strain in his muscles, and made a rumbling sound to call the brunet close. Slowly, tentatively, the mermaid crept nearer until all Levi had to do was tilt his head to be able to comfortably press his mouth to Eren’s. The brunet squeaked, understanding what Levi was trying to do for him, and he started purring furiously in response. The younger mer opened his mouth at the same time Levi opened his and the raven began to purr too as he was allowed to feed and dote on his mate in this way. Eren didn’t seem to mind having his food chewed for him and he accepted the mouthfuls of minced fish that the dark-haired merman stretched up to offer him. No one had done this for the brunet since he’d been a tiny little pup still learning to paddle and it made Eren’s insides feel bubbly and warm.

If only he could get the rest of him feeling that warm. The brunet’s limbs shook with how cold he was and his fingers and toes ached from the chill. There was no sun out yet thanks to the clouds gathered above their heads, not to mention the gradually fading mist and early hour. Eren would have felt fine if he hadn’t been left out of the pod’s resting ritual. It was one of Eren’s favourite parts of the day, when all of their pod would come to curl up together. He hadn’t considered just how much he would miss that if he left his pod. Would Levi be able to keep him as warm all by himself if Eren were to choose him over his pod?

The mermaid ate all his stomach could hold, watching Levi eat the rest, bones and all. Unexpected as the circumstances of this encounter had been, Eren was almost glad. He had come here needing help and Levi had more than proven himself capable of providing for them both. He was a hunter, skilled at reaping the bounties that the water provided. They wouldn’t have a shortage of food at least. And Eren knew that he could always search for food on land for them if Levi could not find enough food for the both of them. They wouldn’t starve if they were to live together. Eren liked the thought, but his heart was still recovering from his shunning the day before. He was still cold, still miserable, and Eren wanted Levi to make things better.

Speaking of Levi, the raven was fussing over him again.

The smaller mer hadn’t moved back even after he had eaten his fill, so he was still within Levi’s reach now. The raven sniffed at him, clucking at the brunet’s limp form. Eren just huffed at him and tried to nestle down into the grass as much as possible to escape the chill in the air.

Levi’s brows furrowed. The poor mermaid looked exhausted, tired from the constant shivering. The raven doubted that Eren would have slept very soundly last night if it was the first time he had spent a night alone. Eren had to have been tired. Levi made up his mind to get the brunet some place safe so that he could rest, and maybe he could warm the mer up at the same time.

With a plan forming in his mind, the merman leaned over to gather Eren in his arms. It would be faster if they didn’t have to travel around the perimeter and the faster Eren was warm, the better.

But the brunet wasn’t prepared to be pulled towards the edge of the lake so suddenly and he tensed. When Levi tried to pull him closer, the mermaid wailed and dug his fingers into the ground. Eren yelped and started to keen in alarm, kicking and straining against the raven’s hold. Levi tried to soothe him but the brunet wouldn’t respond to his clicking, too afraid that the merman would try to pull him into the water.

It didn’t help Levi that that was exactly what the merman was trying to do. Not to hurt Eren, or to take him away or mate him, but how could Levi explain that he had only pure intentions? The brunet was too wary of him.

The raven released the mermaid, sinking down further into the water with a hiss of frustration and watching Eren scramble backwards. He collapsed in the reeds, legs still kicking in his fright. The brunet gasped in panicked breaths, sobbing now, and Levi winced at the miserable sounds. They didn’t have time for this but he couldn’t expect such an innocent, naïve creature to do anything other than panic when it thought it was in danger.

Levi treaded water in brooding silence, waiting for Eren to calm down. The raven clucked once Eren’s breathing no longer sounded like a foal taking its first gulps of air, and Levi ducked his head in silent apology when Eren finally looked at him.

The mermaid’s eyes were still wide but less afraid now that his moment of panic had faded and Eren listened to the raven’s attempt to comfort him. Levi wanted to apologise properly but first he had to get Eren warm. And if that meant taking the long way round, then they would just have to take the long way round. But they needed to go now before Eren got himself sick.

Levi whistled for the mermaid’s attention, tossing his head to motion for the younger creature to follow. Eren was slow to move even with the raven’s encouragement, pulling himself up onto his hands and knees and padding forward. His steps were shaky and dejected, but at least Eren was following.

This time Levi was the one to lead the way to a suitable place for them to meet face to face. The raven coaxed Eren along the shore, pausing to coo and croon whenever the mermaid started to whimper or sniffle. Levi grew more and more worried every time Eren fell behind. He swam slowly, tried to set an easy pace, but every so often the mermaid’s distressed crying would start up again and the raven would have to go back for him. Levi had to go back again and again, losing ground just to stop the younger mer from crying, and it was breaking the raven’s heart. He hated this – seeing Eren so distraught was tearing the merman up inside – but what could he do, other than to get his mate to safety?

Nothing. That was the answer. He was already doing everything that he could, apart from forcefully pulling Eren into the lake. He couldn’t do that. It would shatter any trust that the mermaid felt towards him. The raven tried to coax him in all of two times before giving up on the idea. The brunet would allow Levi to hold him, to touch and comfort him, but not bring him into the water. There was an instinctual fear ingrained into the mermaid; Levi knew that the brunet couldn’t help but be terrified. For good reason. Eren was afraid and Levi could not explain that he only wanted to travel faster by taking a short cut across the lake because the brunet became too frightened at the thought.

So they took the long way round. Levi’s goal was to get to a series of smaller pools that attached themselves to the lake. The water there was not only shallow, which Eren would no doubt be pleased by, but it was also not fully connected to the lake. There were several ridges of rock and a few boulders wedged into the soil that cut off the pebbled ponds from the larger body of water. The merman would have to climb over the rock and pebbles that separated the smaller pools but it would be worth the effort if he could get Eren close and chase away the icy coldness that had seeped into the mermaid’s skin. Levi became especially worried when he heard Eren’s teeth start to chatter and he hurried along, clicking back at the brunet in concern every few moments to make sure he was still following. When the pools came into view at last, Levi chirped his relief and turned to wave Eren over.

The mermaid was looking worse for wear; his head hung low, his ears drooped, barely twitching to listen for potential danger, and his limbs trembled. His steps faltered every so often and each little stumble made the merman’s chest ache. At least he wasn’t still crying inconsolably.

Levi warbled until Eren looked up, motioning for the mermaid to come around to where the little pools were. The brunet raised his head, staring over at where Levi gestured with tired eyes. He started making his way there, though, and that was a start.

The raven turned almost immediately to begin the task of heaving himself over into the shallower water. The first part was always the hardest but Levi clawed at the stone ridge that separated the smaller pools from the lake until he got his body out of the water. He felt much heavier out of the lake, unpleasantly so, and he rolled himself into the shallows as quickly as possible. The water there was deep enough for the raven to move about in, but not deep enough for him to tread water upright. Eren would be able to paddle in the deepest parts.

This was good. Levi was pleased with himself for thinking to bring Eren here. The mermaid would be comfortable with this and, most importantly, the pools were cool, yes, but nothing like the icy water of the lake.

Hope flared up in Levi’s chest and he turned his focus onto raising his core temperature. Although he didn’t do so often, Levi could raise and lower his body temperature at will to adapt to extreme environments. Most of the time he used this to maintain a lower-than-average temperature to make living in cold water more bearable. Here, away from the ocean, he was already far warmer than what he considered to be normal. It was taxing to change one’s temperature too much but the situation at hand required more warmth than he could naturally provide. This was the solution, then. The raven would just have to suck it up and make sure to eat plenty of fish before he rested for the night to ensure that his energy was replenished. It would take a few moments but the result would be worth it. He would need to be careful and make a gradual change, or else risk making Eren ill if the temperature change was too sudden.

Close by there was a crunching sound of reeds being stepped on and Levi turned onto his belly to look for the brunet who had been following him.

He made for a sad sight.

Eren staggered over on shaky limbs, almost collapsing when he finally reached the pool that Levi had settled in. He gave a pathetic little sob, begging to be comforted, and Levi reached for him without hesitation. The raven rolled onto his side, arms open, and he accepted the brunet into his embrace when Eren stumbled into the pond on his hands and knees, made clumsy by the cold.

The mermaid paused, confused by the raven’s skin that seemed to be warmer than usual, but he didn’t protest or complain as Levi gathered him up and arranged the brunet against his chest. Keeping them situated on their sides, the merman swept his tail up behind Eren to keep the scaled appendage close to the younger mer’s back. The flukes of the merman’s tail reached past the brunet’s head and Eren tipped his head back to get a look at the bluish-grey tone up close.

The poor little thing was still shivering, teeth clicking against each other as his jaw trembled in its stiff state. He was cold but happy, already starting to purr involuntarily just from being close to another creature again. Eren’s arms clutched tightly around Levi’s shoulders while his head lolled back to follow the movements of the merman’s tail. When the raven leaned forward and started licking along the little scaled patterns glittering on Eren’s neck, the brunet all but melted. The little mer went limp, stilling completely in the merman’s embrace, and his purring grew almost twice as loud. He didn’t care that his throat was bared, didn’t care about the mouth full of sharp teeth that could easily tear into his soft skin. Levi, with all his strength and vicious appearance, could have torn the mermaid to pieces from the first moment they had met. Instead he treated Eren like he was the only path to sunlight in his life. His hands, with their wicked talons, were the gentlest the mermaid had ever known. His mouth, while full of deadly teeth, caressed Eren’s skin with reverence. This supposedly fearsome predator set aside his every instinct to take care of Eren.

The brunet wasn’t even surprised that he had already made his decision.

Levi would make a fine mate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is absolutely no explanation as to why Levi can regulate his body heat other than it’s my AU and I can do what I want to keep my precious baby Eren warm. I was going to go on this huge tangent about mermen living in the ocean and needing to be able to adapt to survive in changing temperatures when they go inland looking for their mates, but it got waaaay too early and I just want to post this already cos it’s too fluffy to contain. Besides, they’re mermaids so it’s not like this was realistic from the start. Enjoy the myth and magic! I promise almost everything else will have some sort of valid-ish explanation but I just wanted snuggles and a happy Eren cos poor baby muffin was cold and sad. Sue me.


	7. Tender

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eren!POV (except for about three lines of what could technically be classed as Levi!POV but it's vague and I'm tired).  
> Enjoy!

This must be what they call ecstasy; the inner ache and almost foreboding knowledge that to find one’s mate is to know completion. Eren had no other way to describe it, for he was thrilled and content, excited and calm, all in the same instant. And just a bit scared, too.

All because of this peculiar and imposing creature holding him.

Levi was generous in his affection, spoiling the mermaid with touch after his night of isolation. Eren had tried to calm himself but the distress in his scent had brought out a fiercely affectionate side of the raven. Levi acted as though it was his mission to soothe away every last feeling of insecurity in the mermaid, holding Eren tighter when he whimpered and crooning in response to his little mate’s purring.

Eren lay motionless and pliant in Levi’s arms, his eyes closed while the merman held him, groomed him, and crooned to him. Each drag of the raven’s tongue had the brunet teetering on the edge of sleep. He could have dozed off, but the tingling of his skin was pleasant enough to keep him awake. All the better to enjoy this odd limbo of gentle bliss.

Slowly, almost unnoticeably so, heat returned to the mermaid’s body. Eren wasn’t sure how long it took for him to realise that his fingers didn’t hurt anymore and his toes no longer felt like they might break off from the cold. The brunet flexed said fingers and toes, feeling Levi shift in response to even a minute movement from the mermaid. Eren warbled in his throat, eyes still closed as the merman pulled him closer. A shudder ran the length of the brunet’s spine when the soft skin of his belly met the slippery grey of Levi’s. The merman growled by his ear so low that it was almost indistinguishable from his purring, but Eren recognised the difference and went limp at the sound. He let his head loll to one side, giving a soft whimper when Levi pressed their throats together.

Wet. Wet without water. Eren’s body slackened impossibly further at the sensation of Levi rubbing their glands together, spreading scent between them. The brunet gave a feeble kick, more of a knee-jerk reaction than a true protest, and the action only had his leg slipping against the raven’s tail. The mermaid was caught in a peculiar moment, caught between absolute contentment and confusion. He felt so relaxed, so safe. At the same time, however, there was an uneasy feeling pulling at his gut. These feelings were foreign to the younger mer and Eren wasn’t sure what they meant yet.

Was this also a part of finding one’s mate? These odd, new feelings must have been a part of it. Eren wished that he knew more, that he had some idea of what he was meant to do to assure Levi that his efforts were not in vain. The brunet knew several things in his mind. He knew _mate_. He knew _bond_. Eren was even sure that he could tell those things to Levi, despite having never heard them before. But those were just labels, just names for things that the mermaid had no idea about. What was more confusing was that no one had ever mentioned those terms to him before. He just _knew_. Somehow Eren knew that Levi was _his_. Levi was _mate_ , and mate would _bond_ with him.

But what the hell did that mean? Eren wondered what it would be like to bond with Levi. How would it happen? What would they have to do? Would it be scary? Painful? Or would it be nice? _Bond_ sounded like a friendly word and Eren hoped silently that it would be a pleasant experience for them both. The younger mer hoped that Levi had some idea of what was supposed to happen or they would be well and truly screwed.

There was a positive thought, though. Eren found it swimming about amidst all of his confusion and worry. Despite everything, Eren had known that Levi would be worth sticking around for. And he knew these terms, these labels that were so strong in his mind that the brunet could almost taste them. Just like each time he looked at Levi; Eren _knew_ that they were compatible. The mermaid had been able to recognise that from the first moment he had inhaled the merman’s odd, wet scent and identified the raven as one of his kin.

But…Eren had known to trust his merman. He had known that to touch him would be okay, good even. Whenever he touched the raven’s scales, somehow Eren knew that he was doing something right. Levi wanted that, wanted his mermaid to know what he tasted like.

Hopefully…things like bonding and mating would be like that as well. Eren hoped that, when the time came, he would just _know_.

Meanwhile, Levi started to lick into the short strands of hair by the young mer’s ear. Apparently not content with the brunet’s previous bath, the raven set to grooming Eren’s hair with precise and meticulous strokes of his tongue. Now that the mermaid wasn’t shaking and his crying had been replaced with happy little mewls, Levi seemed less intent on comforting the brunet and more focused on actually cleaning him. Eren closed his eyes and tilted his head this way and that when the raven’s nudging prompted him to shift. Levi was thorough, even making sure to clean behind the mermaid’s ears which the brunet was grateful for since that was a hard spot for him to reach on his own. When Eren would begin to whine or squirm, seeking to get away from the startlingly parental attention, Levi resorted to licking the younger mer’s cheek or butting his head against the mermaid’s in a gentle display of playfulness.

In Levi’s arms and under his tongue, Eren forgot how long they spent there. All he knew was that they were together, barely moving other than to breathe, just two beings existing in the same small space.

Eren never wanted to leave this little pool.

 

The sun rose higher, hidden by the clouds. Eren could feel the chill lift from the air and their surrounds grew humid. The mermaid felt his skin grow damp, sticky from the humidity. Every time he moved about his body would have to peel away from Levi’s. Above them, the sky was an ominous grey that threatened rain, but a dry breeze rustled through the clearing instead, stirring ripples across the surface of the lake.

Some ripples were not caused by the wind.

Levi pretended not to notice.

He also pretended that he wasn’t planning the ways in which he would teach Farlan later that it was rude to interrupt a courting, even from a distance.

Thankfully, Eren was too wrapped up in the merman’s scent and touch to notice the shape of a tailed being darting down into deeper waters. Good. At least the blonde mer knew to keep his distance.

Eren squirmed and the raven’s attention was brought back to the mermaid snuggled against his front. Teal eyes blinked open, blue and green like the patterns of an exotic butterfly’s wing. Hooded in his sleepy, comfortable state, the brunet yawned and sought out the raven’s chest to rest his head upon.

Knowing that Eren would become easily distressed if his head were to slip into the water, Levi leaned backwards to settle on his back, tugging the mermaid with him. Levi’s fins flattened, tucking themselves away against his body for ease of comfort, and he reached to tug Eren up and onto his chest. The mer let out a quiet, protesting noise as he was jostled but he settled himself half-atop the merman’s front again in moments.

The brunet blinked up at his merman, sleepy and sluggish.

Levi seemed to enjoy the extra moisture on the parts of his body, skin and scale alike, which were exposed to the air in places. Eren could tell by the easy rise and fall of the raven’s chest, more at ease now than it had been before when they had first made it to the little pool. Eren felt guilty; he hadn’t meant to startle or worry Levi by calling for him. After his lonely night, being this close to another creature meant so much more to the brunet than it might have a day ago. It occurred to Eren that Levi might not have even been awake when he had heard the mermaid’s whining calls and the younger mer was grateful that the merman had come at all. He hadn’t seemed put out with Eren for coming along so early, if anything Levi seemed just as pleased to be able to spend this time together.

That was what it had been like between Eren and his friends. His whole pod had been a place to spend time with the creatures that had raised him, that the mermaid had grown up with, and even when they were cross his kin had never pushed Eren away.

Maybe this was what was meant to happen. Maybe this was always going to happen, not only to Eren but to his fellow podmates as well. They all had to make their way in the world eventually, even though up until recently Eren hadn’t even considered that he would ever leave his pod.

Until now. Until Levi.

If this was what it would be like to be mates, Eren thought he might not mind it so much if Levi bonded him and took him away. The thought came so easily that it concerned the mermaid. He wasn’t sure how he had even known that he wanted Levi to bond him. Eren wasn’t even entirely sure what it meant, only that he wasn’t as afraid as he probably should have been.

With all the care that Levi had taken, it would have been difficult not to fall for him. He kept Eren warm and safe and fed; the merman took care of everything that the brunet’s pod would have normally seen to. Levi took on so many roles for him; friend, comforter, protector, guardian. Eren had even seen enough to know that this merman could probably fulfil the role of playmate as well. With all that taken into consideration, Eren’s former family didn’t have much left to connect themselves to the brunet. Did he really have to go back to them if Levi could provide so much?

Something heavy coiled over the mermaid’s legs and Eren noticed Levi’s tail entwining itself about his lower body. It looked odd. Eren wondered if the merman had any bones in his tail. He wondered how they could move like that, so freely shifting and curling into new shapes.

Mostly just to keep him, a naïve mermaid, from feeling the quite literal cold reality of the world in which they dwelt.

Levi started to lick his face again. Eren complained in a half-hearted whimper, trying to tell the raven that he was clean. In reality, the brunet didn’t mind at all.

The raven’s skin had grown steadily warmer, gradually chasing the bitter chill that had previously settled in Eren’s flesh. Levi’s chest and torso warmed the mermaid’s front and the raven’s tail warmed his back, the flukes splayed over his shoulder blades. Eren wasn’t aching from the cold anymore and the trembling in his limbs had ceased. He was warm and so happy just to be held. The young mer couldn’t have stopped himself from purring even if he had wanted to. He didn’t want to, though, because every little vibration that left his throat and chest spurred Levi on.

After grooming the brunet, Levi’s mouth sought out every fleck of colour he could reach. Levi ran his tongue over the sensitive scales, noting the way Eren’s skin flushed at the attention. Touching the skin there triggered endorphin release and Eren’s scent rose up in the air, content and relaxed.

The mermaid was oblivious to his body’s natural responses, too caught up in the sensations that drugged his senses. He felt good, light and heavy at the same time; the brunet was sure he wouldn’t be able to move even if he wished to do so. He just let his head loll to the side, granting Levi all the access he needed to the little swirls of scale along the mermaid’s throat.

What was this feeling? Many others had touched his colours, mostly the mermaids he played with, but Eren had never felt anything like this. His scales weren’t especially sensitive to his or any of his pod’s touch, but when Levi touched him it set Eren’s body alight within. Like someone was painting his skin with swirls of sunshine, warmth bloomed under every brush of Levi’s mouth. Eren mewled, the sound bordering on unsure, but his happy scent never wavered. He wasn’t used to the onslaught of sensation – the tingling that shot its way through his skin and left him helpless and wanting more – but it wasn’t a bad experience.

Eren panted, sending puffs of warm air skittering along the raven’s shoulder. His legs shifted, squirming weakly in place, one either side of the merman’s torso. His limbs moved easily through the shallow water as he tried to settle in a comfortable position.

Even the water was beginning to warm up little by little. The brunet had never known that any creature could make something of that nature happen but Levi was amazing so it only made sense that he should be able to do amazing things. Settling at last, the mermaid exhaled happily. As long as Eren stayed wedged between the raven and his tail, he was delightfully warmed through. Warm, fed, and being held by one of his kin who cared for him. Eren wanted to remember this moment forever.

Eren wondered how long forever was. He wondered if he and Levi would make it that far.

Right then and there, however, none of that mattered. They were both safe and happy in each other’s company. The brunet mewled his contentment and clutched at the raven’s shoulders to get closer.

Levi seemed to be very pleased with this response in the very least, purring in the quiet. The merman held Eren close and stroked his nape to comfort him, still unsure whether the little mer would become upset again. Just because he was doing well now didn’t mean that Levi had found a permanent fix. Eren would continue to miss his family, even if they were wary of him for frolicking with a potential threat. Levi hoped in silence that his poor Eren would return in a better state the following day.

As irony would have it, the mermaid was thinking about similar matters. Eren was conflicted; he wanted to return to his pod and make amends for upsetting them, but how could he go back after scurrying away before even a single one of his podmates had awoken. He hadn’t told any of his kin where he would be, although it hardly mattered when the elders knew exactly where he would have gone. Eren sniffed but refused to cry. He clicked reassurances at Levi when the merman stiffened at the sound of a potential sniffle and the mermaid promised himself that he would try not to weep around the raven. Levi had seemed equally distressed just to see his mate-to-be in such a sorry state and what kind of mate made their future partner worry like that? Enough was enough. No more tears, Eren resolved.

He still felt the lingering distress of the problems that awaited him, so the mermaid did the only thing he could think of. He turned to Levi for distraction.

Shifting in the merman’s hold, Eren leaned closer. He was surprised that Levi let him, although the mermaid wasn’t sure why he had thought that the raven would protest. After all, what threat could Eren really pose to such a powerful creature? The mermaid was a soft being, lanky and built of lean muscle. Levi was made of something else entirely. His muscles were thick and corded throughout his body and he had easily lifted Eren that first day while they had been playing. Levi was fast and strong and lethal.

To such a creature, there was no threat that a simple being like Eren could pose. Except perhaps the ability to wound his heart.

That, of course, was a sin that Eren would sooner die for than commit.

But perhaps the point of Levi’s strength was that he needed something soft in his life. Maybe the fearsome beast just needed a little of the kind and gentle touch with which Eren was so familiar? After all…what kind of monster nursed a weakling? What kind of terrible creature went to the trouble of being so cautious of their own nature?

The kind of creature that craved love, affection, and company.

Maybe Eren wasn’t the only one in these woods who was dreadfully lonely…

With those rather sombre thoughts in mind, Eren pulled himself as close to the merman as he could manage. Levi made a barely audible sound, probably surprised by the movement after Eren had been so docile up until this point. Now the brunet latched onto the raven’s shoulders and hung on tight, hoping that the gesture and the pressure would make Levi feel safe. It seemed like a stupid thought, but Eren knew what it was to be scared. Even of small things.

No one deserved to feel scared of themselves. Levi was scared; Eren knew it. Why else would he be so careful? Why else would he try so hard not to scare Eren away? The raven hadn’t been the only one treasuring the miracle of making a new friend, and he would be a fool if he thought that the mermaid hadn’t noticed just how hard the merman was trying.

_You’ve already won, Levi. You just don’t know it yet._

_A few more days of this…and maybe we’ll learn together what bonding means..?_

The mermaid hid his face in the crook of Levi’s shoulder, overcome with the sudden swell of emotion in his chest. There was a pressure building there, warm but stifling to a degree. Sadness for this lonely creature in his arms, hope for what they could feel together, and joy for himself at last now that he had found someone worth running away for. Someone worth going through change for.

But Eren’s emotions were catching up with him so the mermaid threw caution to the suddenly-non-existent wind and settled for licking a flat-tongued stripe along a line of scales that followed the underside of the raven’s jaw.

It tasted like melted frost on a late winter’s morning.

Levi stiffened in an instant and the sudden tensing up had the mermaid freezing in place in response. For a long, terrifying moment the brunet thought that he had done something wrong.

Eren both heard and felt the raven swallow, slow and careful, but Levi did not reprimand the brunet nor shove him away. He didn’t do much moving at all. Instead, a soft and almost unsure rumble started up in the merman’s chest. The barely-there vibrations buzzed against Eren’s body and he listened in awe.

This noise was not a growl or a purr or a croon. It wasn’t even a mixture of the three. It was not loud, nor confident, but the sound was undoubtedly one of encouragement.

Eren almost didn’t know what to do. The brunet wondered if Levi’s scales were the same as his? The merman had tickled Eren’s skin with a tingling warmth with every graze of those little flecks of colour. Would the older mer feel as good if Eren were to touch his colours?

It was worth a try, especially if Eren could return the wonderful sensations that Levi had given him.

Feeling oddly empowered, the mermaid resumed his ministrations. Eren ran his tongue over the blue and grey of Levi’s courting display, following along one shoulder and up the column of the raven’s throat. Along his jaw, to the lobe of Levi’s ear and then back down, Eren followed the subtle patterns and the taste of rain on his tongue. Levi tasted almost exactly like he smelled.

The scales were smooth under Eren’s wandering tongue, and the colours were sweet with the scent they secreted. It was a natural sweetness, something pure that could not have come from any true monster. The raven’s flavour, much like his scent, was invigorating. Like drinking fresh rainwater or tasting the first morning beads of dew on grass. Levi’s unique flavour was so clean.

Speaking of Levi, the raven wasn’t moving much, other than to breathe. Pulling back as far as he dared, Eren took in the merman’s rigid form. Levi lay almost deathly still apart from the rise and fall of his chest, although the movement seemed a tad too deliberate. The merman seemed strained. Struggling, perhaps? Struggling against himself, yet again? Eren almost wanted to sigh at the sight his mate made, lying there having to fight for control over his own body.

Eren was almost glad that he didn’t know what the raven was fighting against. It couldn’t have been pleasant.

Levi rattled out a sigh and when he didn’t immediately panic or close off, Eren returned to work. The raven was, for the most part, spectacularly well behaved. His teeth were bared every so often, showing off a jaw full of Mother Nature’s pointed tools for killing, but the raven didn’t snarl or growl. He didn’t hiss or threaten or shove. Levi just lay there. Allowing himself to be vulnerable. Defenceless. Trusting.

Perfect, in Eren’s opinion.

The merman’s breathing hitched constantly while Eren groomed him and the mermaid wondered if Levi’s mating colours were as sensitive to touch as his own had become. They had to be, if there was anything similar about mermen and mermaids at all.

Maybe mermen were more sensitive? The thought struck Eren as he mouthed at the raven’s clavicle and heard a sound that, shockingly, could only be described as a whimper. Of course Levi’s whimpers were nothing like Eren’s. They had far less pitch and Eren’s voice shook a lot more when he was worked up. But there was a vulnerability to the sound that was undoubtedly the same.

The merman had to be more sensitive, then. Under the right circumstances when he was relaxed and feeling safe, certainly. After all, Levi did not have a pod like Eren did. He was fine sleeping all by himself at night, brave as he was, but that also meant that the poor merman was starved of attention, starved of touch and care.

Poor, poor, Levi.

Eren purred so loudly that he almost crooned himself, passing vibrations through his body and into the merman’s. He had to let Levi know that he wouldn’t remain on his own like this.

Eren would take good care of his merman.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At least Eren is warm now. AND IT'S FINALLY LEVI'S TURN TO GET SOME PAMPERING AND TLC!! *violent cheering*  
> Feedback is always welcome and if you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask here or on tumblr - haberkonium.tumblr.com (cos there's a chance that even I haven't thought about some of the lore for this fic yet, who knows what you could prompt into existence..?).  
> Now if you'll excuse me, I have an enormous cat to move off my bed/lounge-that-is-acting-as-my-bed-atm T_T


	8. Test

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There may be mistakes in this. I apologise in advance.  
> Levi!POV

Nothing was as infuriatingly confusing as being groomed by one’s not-yet-bonded mate. The sensation of Eren’s tongue gliding over his courting display, slick and warm and soft as rippling water, left the merman floundering. Levi could not remember ever being cleaned this way by another creature. His memories as a pup were too distant and faded for the raven to be sure if he had ever experienced this, but experiencing it now was foreign. Someone else’s tongue was on his skin. Someone else was grooming him. The merman almost wasn’t sure how to receive this…but slowly he realised that for Eren this would be normal. Levi was the only one freaking himself out over this, even if the mermaid’s scent did hold a slight trace of nervousness.

The brunet obviously knew that he was taking a risk but he also knew what he was doing. Mers lived in groups; they were used to this kind of close contact and ritual cleaning. Levi had to honestly fight to stay still as Eren mouthed along the column of his throat. Even the young mer’s teeth could cause damage to the soft skin there, although Levi knew that Eren would never actually try to bite him.

The mermaid sucked the secreted scent from a swirl of scales below Levi’s gill slits and the raven’s eyes rolled back a fraction in their sockets. He felt _good_ ; every last scale of his mating colours began to tingle as if anticipating further contact. Levi’s hands wanted to grab and pin but he forced his twitching fingers to remain where they were currently resting on the small of Eren’s back. Reacting badly to his mate-to-be’s touches would be a hard thing to recover from.

Easy…breathe…relax.

Easier said than done. Levi wanted to relax, his every muscle wanting to go lax under the soft caress of Eren’s mouth, but to relax was to surrender. Levi could not risk surrendering completely to his instincts, as only some of them were the good kind. Some told him to soothe and protect, to hold and groom. Others wanted the merman to pin and hold down, to bite and grip and mate.

Eren wasn’t ready. Eren hadn’t consented. He wasn’t fully receptive to those more primal advances.

Please let it be soon. The merman was losing that essential control with every passing moment. Too much longer and he wouldn’t be the one Eren ran to.

He would be something that the little mer would run from. That couldn’t happen. Levi didn’t know what he would do if Eren ran in earnest from him. He’d been too lonely for too long and a rejection at this point would leave him moping for months on end. Maybe longer than that.

He might never recover from a rejection from Eren. Sweet, kind little Eren who was _licking_ _behind his ear, sweet Earth Mother, yes._

This touching, this proximity, was alarming and comforting all at once. Like a healing flame. Like feeling the rush of passing waves as a monsoon raged overhead. Eren’s touch felt like oblivion, neither entirely good or bad or indifferent but rather everything all at the same time. Levi felt fire in his veins, a fierce heat that swept through his body just beneath the skin as Eren licked at his scales. That heat spread through the merman’s entire body and Levi had to fight back tremors. The mermaid’s saliva left cool paths along the raven’s skin, a godsend of relief against his abnormal, far-warmer-than-average temperature.

Relief. Distraction. Levi welcomed the cooling sensation, feeling it tingle his flesh in a way that was entirely different from the tingling that Eren’s touch summoned in the merman’s skin, beneath it, in his very blood. He felt helpless in a way, defenceless against his smaller kin’s assault – undoubtedly the sweetest assault that Levi had ever experienced. No one had ever gotten this close without the express intent to cause the raven harm. Now this gentle, little creature, this mermaid with barely any defences to speak of, had the merman lying vulnerable and docile.

That was better than the alternative. Levi could have surged up and shoved the mermaid down. He could have pinned him and set his teeth to the soft flesh of Eren’s throat. He wanted to do it, longed to mark the brunet as his. That was how things worked, Levi knew it in his heart that he wasn’t wrong to want to bite the mermaid.

But Eren was too innocent, completely unaware of the danger he was putting himself in just by touching Levi, just by being near to his mate. Levi couldn’t hurt the younger mer so thoughtlessly, not when the brunet was still purring so softly, licking sweetly at the underside of the merman’s jaw. Every time Eren shifted he brushed the silky skin of his belly against Levi’s stomach – yet another sign of trust that the brunet probably wasn’t even aware he was giving.

When mermen sparred, the loser showed their belly as a sign that they had lost the match and trusted their opponent not to kill them. Eren very probably had no idea about those kinds of traditions, though. It hardly mattered for a creature that wouldn’t need to fight.

The even softer flesh of Eren’s inner thighs shifted for purchase by the merman’s tail, torturing Levi with the soft-as-satin caress so close to areas of his own body that he really ought not to focus on whilst attempting to hold himself back.

Levi wondered how Eren would respond if he took his mouth to those thighs. Would Eren taste different there? Sweeter, maybe?

Bad. This was bad. Bad, Levi, thinking such things.

The raven gritted his teeth together, unsure if he wanted to escape this situation or never leave it. Levi squeezed his eyes shut at the same time that a shudder ran the length of his body. Eren had finally found the scales around his gills. Crap. _Those_ were sensitive; Levi had found that out the hard way while sparring with other of his mermen brothers when they had been younger. Getting scratched across the gills was one of the most painful things Levi had experienced but at least he had learned to avoid getting injured there from an early age. It had certainly helped him in matches later in life.

This gentle attention, however, made Levi’s arms want to tremble. His tail relaxed, sliding off of the mermaid’s back and unfurling into the water as the raven fought to relax. His tail shuddered slightly. Blood pooled beneath his scales, heightening the vibrancy of his display.

This was really bad. The raven swallowed, focusing on breathing through his nose as his jaw clenched shut. Levi’s body was out of his control; it called to the mermaid with the displays of colour and waves of scent that rose up in the air. Levi grimaced, baring his teeth but refraining from hissing. He was frustrated with himself, with having to hold back, and with his body for responding so strongly to touches that weren’t meant to call him out in this way. Eren was only trying to bring him comfort, no doubt repaying him for his kindness. It wasn’t meant to awaken age old instinct in the raven. Levi knew that.

But the merman couldn’t help it. He had been waiting for so many years now to find the answer to end his yearning – a yearning which had led him to travel whole oceans in search of something he had never desired before. Company. Levi’s body called to be mated, to be tied to his mermaid and take little Eren away. Away from his pod, away from the lake entirely. Levi wanted to take Eren far away from this place, back to his beloved ocean. He missed the sea and its salt water, missed the more bountiful waters of the deep sea and how fast he could swim with no boundaries to hinder him. Levi felt excited just thinking about all the marvellous things that he would be able to show Eren if he did get to take the little brunet away from the lake. The merman knew of several sea caves and sheltered coves that could easily serve as a good home for his mermaid while providing easy access to the colder, deeper waters that the raven missed so much.

Eren trilled above him, the pitching sound meant to find out whether or not the raven was okay. Levi tipped his head back in response, rumbling back a noise that was more moody than reassuring but it was the best he could manage in that moment.

Everything that the brunet did to him felt good, but Eren didn’t know that his touches were stirring unsavoury instincts in the merman. Even the feeling of Eren’s mating display on the raven’s was pleasant; it made him feel like he was back home in his precious ocean. That comfort alone let Levi know that Eren was meant for him. No other creature had ever made him feel so…safe. When Levi was with Eren, he felt accepted. He felt welcomed.

He also felt like he was about to explode if Eren didn’t stop sucking at his earlobe. The more the mermaid pressed himself close, the less inclined Levi was to discourage him. They were on a one-way street to bad decisions and the raven felt powerless to stop them. No one had ever touched his colours before and it called a heat within his body that had nothing to do with Levi’s efforts to keep Eren warm.

Fleetingly, the merman congratulated himself for successfully distracting Eren from his previous distress. Now Levi only had his own steadily building distress to worry about. Distress was probably too strong a word for it. Frustration suited the situation better. Levi was frustrated. The raven had matured a long time ago; he had been searching for his mate for years now until he was called to leave the ocean by the undeniable pull of instinct. And now his future mate was in his arms, unwittingly calling to be marked with the raven’s claiming bite and Levi couldn’t do anything about it other than to lie there. Clearly Mother Nature was enjoying herself, putting the merman through this situation knowing that he would fight against the very instincts that she had given his species.

Levi ran his dark tongue over the top row of his teeth in anticipation, trying to imagine what it would feel like to mark Eren as his own. All his kin, both the other mermen in the pond and Eren’s pod alike, would know that the little brunet was spoken for.

Levi stared up at the sky and clenched his jaws shut. He couldn’t risk losing it and trying to bite Eren before the mermaid was ready to consent to be his.

The merman hoped desperately that Eren would consent to him soon.

A shaky whimper caught the raven’s attention and he noticed that he had been holding onto the brunet’s waist with more force than he needed to. Levi pried his hands from Eren’s body, thankful that he hadn’t involuntarily latched on with his claws. That wasn’t something that the mermaid would likely forgive.

Eren wasn’t backing away from him, though, and Levi took that as a good sign. The mermaid only hesitated briefly before continuing his ministrations, resting his mouth over a cluster of colour at the base of the raven’s throat where it joined the beginnings of a broad shoulder.

Something happened, maybe the way Eren’s tongue pressed down against his scales or the pressure of Eren’s hips against Levi’s torso as the brunet moved to reach higher. Whatever it was, it made something snap within the raven. His hands were on the younger mer in an instant, seizing the brunet’s hip and shoulder. Their positions were flipped before the merman had caught up with what was going on. Levi had rolled them over a little quicker than he had intended to and he froze up, hesitating while he scented the air quickly to see if he had frightened the mermaid. Frightening Eren would be a bad move, but the raven hoped that they were at least familiar enough to start spontaneous bouts of playing. Levi clucked anxiously, watching the little mer with concerned eyes. Eren looked startled from the sudden movement and he made a few, quiet sounds of complaint at being thrown around so rapidly, but there was no fear in his wide eyes. He blinked curiously at the merman, moving his legs to get them out of the way of Levi’s heavy tail. The mermaid didn’t seem too put out with the raven’s impromptu shift, already wriggling about to get comfortable again.

Levi swallowed, trying to ignore the bad ideas that were swarming about within his skull.

He failed to tune them out.

Taking a chance, Levi pushed his tail against Eren’s knees, applying pressure until they parted. Success, if only a small victory. The merman moved slowly, carefully, and settled the weight of his tail against the mermaid’s thighs, taking care not to hurt the smaller creature. He pinned the younger mer in this way, keeping the majority of his weight off of the brunet with arms positioned either side of Eren’s head, and Levi waited for Eren’s response to the so far playful advance.

Playful to a point, at least.  Levi had caved to his baser instinct and tried to pin his mate. He had no plans to follow through, not until he got Eren safely back to the privacy of his den, but even mock-pinning like this could easily determine how far along their courting had come. If Eren panicked and tried to get away, then Levi would know that he still had a lot of trust-earning to do. If Eren didn’t push him away…then Levi would really have to work to control himself.

Eren frowned, confused, and he shifted about to keep Levi’s tail from putting too much pressure on his groin. The little mer squirmed, oblivious to his position, and yipped for Levi to give him some room to get comfortable. The merman allowed his mate to move, stiffening when Eren pulled his legs back further and practically presented himself for Levi.

It wasn’t time yet. It didn’t matter if his mate’s opening was _right there_ , practically pressed against Levi’s protective slit.

_Earth Mother, help him..._

In the end it was the raven who panicked, dropping his head into the crook of Eren’s neck to pant as he fought to get his instincts back under control. Eren, who had finally caught up with the situation, seemed to realise that their position was incredibly intimate, and the mermaid started to whimper, pleading for Levi to let him move with flustered warbling.

Shit. Levi huffed against the brunet’s shoulder, feeling equal parts frustrated and disappointed.

Eren wasn’t completely receptive to him yet. The younger mer’s body understood what was happening but his mind was thinking too much and those thoughts led him to fear. Levi would have to wait longer before he could claim the mermaid.

That was okay. He could wait, even if it frustrated him.

Levi backed up, feeling Eren tuck himself into a little ball of embarrassed mermaid. The brunet did not flinch when the raven touched him, though, and Eren even turned his head to lick at Levi’s face in apology, silently letting the merman know that things were still okay between them.

At least Levi didn’t have to worry about being in trouble for his bold actions. He exhaled and nuzzled the top of Eren’s head.

Just a few more days, he reminded himself.

He just had to be patient. Patient with Eren. Patient with himself.

Levi was preparing to settle again when he heard something. Ears pricking up, the merman waited without moving, twitching his ears in several directions to find the source of the noise. At the far side of the lake from where he and his mermaid were huddled, something lurked in the grass.

The raven didn’t move a muscle but his upper lip pulled back and a snarl built in his chest, low like distant thunder. Levi hushed a whimpering Eren, hovering low over the brunet’s body in a protective stance.

Levi cradled Eren’s head and rumbled a low sound by his ear.

_Stay here._

Slithering out of the pond and back into the lake, Levi allowed himself a few moments to adjust to the water that felt icy against his now-warm skin. The biting chill comforted him, though; the raven felt his senses sharpening in response to the sudden change. His fins spread out, flaring in a threat display. Steadily, blood coloured the thin membranes with vibrant red and orange. Levi was ready for the confrontation to come.

The merman flexed his fingers in anticipation, wondering if he would need to draw any blood this day. He hoped not. Eren would be upset by violence; returning with blood on him would definitely distress the younger mer.

With one last glance back, Levi made sure that Eren was safe. The mermaid whined, hovering by the edge of the pool and looking after the raven with wide, questioning eyes. Levi swam back, reaching up to usher the little mer back to hide himself in the water. Eren protested quietly but obeyed, huddling down until only his head remained out of the water. He nuzzled Levi’s palm – the only part of the raven that Eren could still reach.

Levi cupped the young mer’s jaw and clicked a few, quiet sounds up to him.

_Hide._

_Stay quiet._

_It’s alright._

The merman crooned to the brunet, desperate to reassure him but also wary of whatever creature was concealing itself. Hiding as it was, it could only be some form of predator. Levi would not tolerate its arrival.

He released the brunet, forcing himself to ignore the piteous whine that Eren gave. Levi turned, focusing his sharp gaze on the shoreline, and disappeared under the surface of the water. Black enveloped his form but thanks to the merman’s special membranes that closed protectively over his eyes Levi had no problem finding his way. The depths came alive under the merman’s gaze – he spotted Farlan’s lean form disappearing into one of the nearby caves but for once Levi felt no inclination to chase him off, not when there were bigger problems at hand. Farlan would know to leave well enough alone just seeing the older merman’s threat display.

Levi sped towards the other side of the lake, glaring up at the surface as he tread water and tried to identify whatever he would have to face.

Whatever this thing was, it would never see him coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is that conflict I see on the horizon?  
> *squints*  
> Yep, that's definitely conflict.
> 
> Feedback would be appreciated ^_^  
> Next chapter is Hanji/team POV and I'm going to try and update this fic once a week from now on (cos I have to pack for the move back this week, and then uni stuffs :p)  
> Thanks to everyone who has read this and a special thank you to everyone who took the time to comment, ask questions and give me even more ideas for this story ^_^ kudos to you all! <3


	9. Oops

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh God, it's finally done. As yet un-beta'd but bear with me. If you spot a mistake, shout.  
> Hanji/Team POV.

_Earlier that day…_

 

“They’re already here, wow. Our boys started early.”

Light struggled to reach over the treetops, illuminating the sky with a mix of orange and grey and purplish hues. Dawn had passed but the hilly forest on one side of the lake was enough to keep the sun’s rays from warming the area around the lake. Fog swept by in varying clusters, some patches thick and others wispy and see-through.

“We’ve got a bit of cover at least.” Moblit pointed out, already gauging how quickly they might be able to move between hiding spots with the aid of the fog.

Huddled in the undergrowth by the edge of the tree line, Hanji and her team were surprised to find their subjects of study were already present and cuddling. For the mers to be in such close proximity already, they must have been there for quite some time before the researchers had arrived.

Either that or something had happened to bring their bond that much father along. There would be no way to know without witnessing those earlier events, though, and Hanji cursed their timing. She knew she should have roused her team earlier.

Still, at least they’d all had an acceptable amount of sleep. Tired team mates would not be helpful.

Across the lake, the merman paused in his nuzzling to glance around. His ears twitched, seeking any out of place noise.

“No sudden movements,” Hanji advised in a low murmur, as if her team didn’t already know to keep still, “we don’t want to interrupt.”

The four scientists froze, ducking even lower in the shrubbery. Apparently waking up at the crack of dawn had not been early enough to make it to the lake before their pair of mers were back at their courting, although Hanji couldn’t say that she was disappointed to see that they were so eager.

Moving was slow from there. Mike was stuck under a fern, clutching his gear bag close to his chest to save it from getting damp and dutifully ignoring the wet leaves tickling the back of his neck. He sniffed, nose wrinkling at whatever scents he picked up, but was otherwise silent. Nearby, an equally silent Nanaba waited for the go ahead to move. A backpack clung to the blonde’s shoulders, protecting its contents well – a camera, heat sensors, their satellite phone, and a half a dozen other bits and bobs that might come in handy. Closer to the front of the pack, Moblit hovered behind a practically vibrating Hanji; the brunette could barely contain her excitement at the sight before her eyes.

The merman turned back to his smaller companion once again, seemingly satisfied that they were safe.

Hanji let go of a quiet, relieved sigh. She noted in her mind that the mers had moved a considerable distance from their courting site of yesterday. Far across the lake, much farther than the pair had been the previous day, the two mers were busy getting their cuddle on.

At least they seemed to be bonding well.

“We’ll need to set up in a new spot. Closer, if we can manage it.” Hanji paused, her wide eyes narrowing in on the nuzzling couple. “Better be extra careful today; wouldn’t want to upset the male if they’re this close already.”

If the pair were already this close, no doubt the merman would be getting ready to take his mermaid back onto his territory. Mermen very rarely courted on their own turf, mostly because the chances of finding a mate by sticking to a single area was slim to none, and this merman would be getting anxious to return to his territory with his mate.

So far, however, he seemed remarkably calm. Hanji was elated at his self-control, although it was only a matter of time before he lost himself to his mating drives. If they continued on at this slow pace, the merman would find it harder and harder to deny himself.

It was only ever a matter of time. For now, though, the two mers clung to each other in peace.

Just a few, short minutes later and the small company was moving again. They waited for the two merpeople to be suitably distracted with each other before moving out. Out of the shrubbery and into the tall reeds. Not for the first time Hanji was grateful for the uneven topography of the land around the lake. The ground dipped and rose, providing plenty of cover thanks to the reeds and long grass that grew in abundance. Sneaking was less difficult than Hanji had thought, given that there was a whole lot of space between them and the courting couple, but she made her team tread lightly anyway. One wrong step, one too-loud twig snap could land them in dangerous waters if one would pardon the pun.

It took time. Moving between the thicker patches of fog helped the team remain unseen, but they still had to walk carefully to avoid falling into ditches. At times the lake was eerily quiet and the four researchers had to step with twice as much caution. They thanked their lucky stars that the leaves underfoot were damp from dew and the mist and therefore did not crunch obnoxiously the way most leaves do when given the opportunity.

A whole half hour of sneaking later and the team was huddled in a ditch, setting up equipment and trying to subtly poke camera lenses through patches of reeds without gaining the attention of the mers.

Their resting site, the place that would be used to film from that day, was a relatively dry rise in the lake shore. A fallen tree provided decent cover for them to hide behind, leaving plenty of places between branches and dying leaves for the humans to push cameras or binoculars through. The slope of the bank was less steep here than it was in other areas and this set Hanji’s mind to worry. It wouldn’t be that difficult for a mer to pull themselves up to reach them.

She decided that they would cross that bridge when they came to it. If they came to it.

Hanji sincerely hoped that they never came to a bridge like that.

The team busied themselves with unpacking, making sure to only get out the equipment that they needed. That way packing up would take less time later in the day.

Hanji turned her gaze to the mers across the lake and she considered sketching a rough image of the ponds they were snuggling in. The merman was busy grooming his little mate, who was being surprisingly docile about being bathed so thoroughly. Even adult mermaid could become unruly when groomed by other members of their pod but this one seemed perfectly content to lie there, head tipped back, limbs lax, and be cleaned.

The brunette smiled. “They must have been here for a while if they’re already canoodling like that.” She commented half to herself.

Mike gave an amused snort, busy inspecting the lens of his camera.

Nanaba was the one who spoke up, apparently on the same train of thought as the big blonde. “You make them sound like a pair of school kids who’ve just discovered making out was a thing.”

Hanji bit back a cackle, exhaling sharply through her nose instead. The imagery, nay the entire analogy, wasn’t all that different. These mers would not have experienced anything quite like this before. The mermaid especially was young enough not to have been aware of his mating drive properly yet. Hanji thought that the little mer probably thought that all this was very strange.

She grinned over at Nanaba. “Well for our mermaid, that’s not too far off the mark. He’s barely matured, poor thing, and all of this will be new to him.” The brunette adjusted her glasses, pushing the frames up her nose, and snatched up her notebook to start scribbling down her thoughts and observations.

“They don’t have any rituals to prepare for this sort of thing?” Nanaba asked, stilling to secure a strap to a piece of their gear without the clip sounding too loudly as it connected.

Hanji shrugged. “Wouldn’t know. Mermaid pods are hard to study. They move around a lot and it’s tricky to remain close enough to get good data without being detected and spooking them. We should try to pitch that as our next expedition, though, when we get back.” The brunette suggested.

Mike and Moblit gave low hums of agreement. Nanaba nodded, smiling.

“It would be less dangerous, for sure.” The blonde woman commented, elbowing Mike when he gave another snort of amusement at her words.

“And so interesting.” Hanji nodded rapidly, still watching her mers. “I wonder if they actually have any procedure for readying their young and maturing members for life away from their pods? Do they teach them to forage? Take them exploring? Prepare them for the kind of intimacy they might experience if they do find a suitor? Or would it be something completely opposite? Are newly matured mermaids made to stay close to their home pond? Are they prevented from leaving? God, it would be so interesting to find out.”

“One job at a time.” Moblit reminded gently, smirking at their boss. “Better focus on your current project before planning others.”

“Right, right.” Hanji agreed with a flurry of vigorous nodding. “What the hell were we even talking about before I got carried away?”

Nanaba smothered a giggle, watching Hanji blink in genuine confusion having lost track of the conversation.

“How the mermaid is like a schoolgirl.” Mike supplied in his low monotone.

Silence followed for all of three seconds after that before the other researchers doubled over, desperate not to burst out laughing and blow their cover. Even Moblit had to cover a snort at that and for a few moments the team was silent, shaking with the effort to hold back laughter.

“Jesus, Mike, you should listen to yourself sometime.” Hanji wheezed, waving a hand about aimlessly. “It’s hilarious.”

“Hn?” The big man glanced up from beneath a messy fringe, raising one eyebrow.

The seriousness behind the expression nearly made Hanji snort. She suppressed the urge.

Instead, the brunette attempted to explain to Mike why his statement was so amusing to them. “You’re all silence and brooding and oh I love my camera,” the bespectacled woman said, complete with wild hand gestures and a serious looking frown that was supposed to represent Mike’s silent disposition, “and then the next second we hear a baritone muttering “like a schoolgirl.”

Moblit covered his mouth to keep from barking out a laugh at the sudden low tone Hanji adopted while imitating Mike. Nanaba was shaking her head.

Mike himself simply stared.

“I see.” Was all he had to say.

“Pfft.” Hanji lost it for a second.

“Shh, shush!” Nanaba hushed the brunette, snickering herself.

“Mermaids, back to the mermaids.” Hanji conceded with a grin, getting herself under better control before turning her eyes back across the lake. “Considering how casually the mermaid is accepting this kind of contact, I’d say any contact he’s experienced has been between pod members, all friendly and completely platonic.”

“How do you know it’s all platonic?”

“It’s assumed. Instinct would dictate the kind of relationships that mers have with each other. See, our little mer here knows that he’s allowed to be this close to the merman despite their differing appearances. He recognises his kin. And judging by how calm he seems, I’d say he doesn’t suspect that the merman has any other intention than to clean him. Otherwise he’d be reacting very differently to Loverboy’s advances.” Hanji gave a quiet chuckle. “I can’t imagine how frustrated our merman will be in a few days when he figures out that his little friend has no idea how to respond or reciprocate his mating advances. Poor thing.”

“What does that mean for the mermaid?” Nanaba chimed in, a hint of worry in her tone.

Hanji turned, a little half-smile on her lips as she regarded the other woman. “You sound concerned, Nana.”

Nanaba rolled her eyes, but smiled wistfully. “We’re all fond of the little guy by now. I don’t like the thought of him being mistreated.”

In her periphery, Hanji saw Moblit give a nod of agreement. Even Mike gave a hum of acknowledgement, gaze fixed on his camera as he filmed the lovebirds.

Hanji sighed. “It’s just the way it goes, unfortunately. If he’s lucky, Loverboy will be patient with him. If not, poor baby will have an interesting time learning what a merman’s mating drive can do to their self-control.”

“Their bond has been quite stable so far.” Moblit chimed in, his tone quiet as he pulled things from one of his equipment bags. “There’s a good chance that they’ll move into the last phase in the next few days.”

Hanji nodded, smiling over at her assistant. “I have high hopes so far. Loverboy hasn’t pushed his mer into anything yet.” The brunette looked for her mers, watching them through the gaps in the leaves she was hiding behind. “He’s been remarkably docile.”

“Hanji?” Nanaba’s voice floated over, her tone perplexed.

“Hmm?” The bespectacled woman hummed in response, waiting.

“I’m getting unusual heat readings.” The blonde informed their leader, frowning at the equipment in her lap.

“Eh?” The brunette scooted over, squinting down at the screen in Nanaba’s hands. “What’s that?”

The usually balanced heat readings had changed dramatically, displaying a large amount of red where there would usually be blue and green.

“The merman’s body temperature is miles above what it should be.” The blonde woman tapped a finger against a patch of red and yellow waves that throbbed on the screen. “It’s like he has a fever.”

Hanji scrambled for her binoculars, squinting over at the currently grooming mers.

“He does look sluggish.” She commented, watching the raven’s languid movements. “A fever, you say? He doesn’t look clammy or faint.”

“I have no idea what to tell you. The readings don’t lie.”

The brunette gave a concerned hum. “I’ve never seen a merman get sick but I guess it happens with every species. What an odd symptom.”

“I don’t think he’s sick.” Nanaba shook her head, frowning at the readings. “His vitals are normal, breathing is fine, heart rate is slightly elevated but it was yesterday too when he was with the mermaid. Apart from the rise in his core temperature, he seems fine.”

“What the hell is he doing?” Hanji worried her bottom lip between her teeth, hoping that their merman wasn’t suffering from any life-threatening symptoms.

She could only imagine the effects that would have on the mermaid if its partner passed away before they had even completed their courtship.

Nanaba waved for the brunette’s attention, her eyes still fixed on her screens. “That’s not all. See all this heat? It’s the surrounding pond water.”

Hanji shook her head in wonder. “What the hell is going on here?”

“That water should be closer to the temp of the surrounding ponds but it isn’t.” Nanaba continued. “Mermen prefer cold water, we know that for a fact, so it’s odd that our merman would even consider remaining in water like this. What’s stranger, though…I think it’s actually our merman heating up the water. And I think he’s doing it on purpose.”

Hanji was silent. Moblit leaned over to glance at the screen, giving a hum of surprise, before he leaned back. The man took up Hanji’s notebook and began reporting the new data while the brunette floundered.

“But why?” Hanji couldn’t figure out what would possess their merman to do something like this. It was baffling. “That’s got to be playing havoc with his senses.”

“I have a theory. See this cooler patch?” Nanaba hovered a finger over a little oval of blue and green on the screen. She waited for Hanji’s nod before continuing. “That’s our mermaid.”

“Eh?” Concern skyrocketed in the brunette and Hanji frowned at the screen. “Why is he so cold?”

That was almost as concerning as the merman’s high temperature. Compared to the merman, their mermaid was freezing. What the hell was up with this pair today?

 “I don’t know.” The blonde shook her head, giving a shrug, and a smile teased at the corners of her mouth. “But I think our merman is trying to be a living radiator.”

“He’s warming up the mermaid?” The bespectacled woman muttered aloud, feeling her eyebrows shoot up in surprise for a moment before they furrowed. “How is Loverboy doing that?” Hanji uttered, turning to watch the mers through her binoculars again, and her frown deepened. “I’ve never seen this before.”

Now that she actually spent a moment to observe the snuggled couple, Hanji noticed the mermaid’s relative lack of movement. His skin had an almost unnoticeable hue of blue to it, no doubt from the cold he was feeling, and apart from breathing all he did was lie back and let the merman groom him.

Something had to have happened. Why else would this mermaid have come out to meet his suitor so early? It was almost unheard of. Hanji desperately wished that she knew what the poor mer had experienced that would leave him in such a state, apparently cold and insecure enough to seek a merman’s company above that of his pod.

Whatever the case, there was a whole lot going on that the mer-enthusiast had never seen or even heard of before and Hanji was determined to learn as much as possible.

“For God’s sake record every bit of data that comes through here,” the bespectacled woman hissed back at Nanaba, flailing with one hand in her excitement, “this is unprecedented for mer research. Raising body temperature isn’t unheard of, but at these levels? It’s insane! And if he’s doing it just to keep his mate warm then we could disprove the theory that mermen are solely aggressive creatures. This could be ground-breaking, guys. I knew this was a lucky pair!”

The biologist had to clench her fists and bite her lip for several, long moments to hold in her excitement and the near-overwhelming urge to shout for joy.

Merpeople got more interesting every day.

 

Steadily the sun climbed higher in the sky, although thick patches of fog and cloud cover kept much of the warmth from the air. The mers didn’t move much, only shifting and adjusting for comfort for the most part.

Nanaba kept a close watch on her equipment, noting when the merman’s temperature stopped rising. Hanji felt some of her concerns lessen as Nanaba informed her that the mermaid’s body temperature was no longer dangerously low. They all breathed a sigh of relief. The water of the little pond in which the two mers resided was warm enough against the icy air that tiny ribbons of steam rose from the surface every once in a while.

Hanji was notified. She scribbled wildly in her notebook.

_Temperature holding steady._

_Male is panting – unused to high temperature or riled from close proximity to mermaid? Further data required._

_Colour display at peak vibrancy. Male will experience peak mating drive in the next few days if not sooner._

_Extraordinary self-control. Unlikely to last._

_Mermaid core temp stable. Reason for staggeringly low initial temp – unknown._

_Purring audible even from across the lake – estimated distance approx…_

The brunette was so caught up in her notes that she jumped when a few, shrill notes pierced the air. Heads whipped up, alarm written on faces, and the sound was identified.

The satellite phone.

Oh fuck.

Every member of the team froze for a second before they burst into action. Moblit dove for the phone, Mike and Nanaba were already packing up their gear like their lives depended on it. Hanji helped stuff things in bags like a maniac.

“Shit, shit, shit! Answer it!” The brunette hissed.

Moblit snatched the phone from its hiding place in one of the backpacks, answering the call to silence the ringtone, and silence fell just in time for the quiet sound of a splash to reach the team’s ears.

Hanji winced, looking over her shoulder. Dread wound its icy fingers around the base of her spine.

She couldn’t see the merman. The mermaid hovered uncertainly in the little rock pool, alone. The merman was nowhere to be seen but Hanji has a fairly good idea of where he had gone if the rippling lake surface was any indication.

“We’re so fucked.” Hanji accepted almost calmly, turning back to hurrying her team along. “Move, move, _move_. Go!”

Another splash sounded, this one louder, and Hanji caught a glimpse of a tail disappearing back below the lake surface.

“He risked a glance. He doesn’t know what the threat is.” The brunette realised, ushering her comrades along. “Go, go, we still have time.”

Mike and Nanaba raced off with the majority of the gear at Hanji’s insistence, the pair darting away from the lake edge. None of them wanted to find out whether or not their merman was determined enough to jump out of the lake to come after them. It would be a risky move on his part, but a defensive merman was a dangerous merman.

Across the lake the plaintive calls of a frightened mermaid could be heard. The smaller mer’s calls went unanswered and as Hanji reached for the last piece of gear she needed, her binoculars resting on a moss-covered log, a dark head of hair broke the surface of the water.

Hanji froze, arm still outstretched, as silvery eyes blinked at her. A second set of lids blinked water out of those narrowed eyes and Hanji was met with a mouthful of teeth bared in a hiss.

Well Hanji had always wanted to get up close and personal with merpeople. Wish granted. Irony…what a ruthless bitch.

“H-Hey there, Loverboy.” The brunette greeted sheepishly.

She wasn’t being attacked and Hanji figured that was only thanks to the fact that humans and mermaid both appeared humanoid. The raven wouldn’t just attack a creature if he thought there was a chance it might belong to his mate’s pod, but the presence of both clothing and unnatural equipment was quickly drawing the merman’s suspicion.

A low growl started up and Hanji was momentarily mesmerised by the threat of deep red the coloured parts of the male’s scale display. It looked vicious against the grey and blue of his normal scales, which had lost some of their colour now that blood was flushed into his threat display.

“What I wouldn’t give for a camera…” Hanji muttered to herself, closing her hand around the cord of her binoculars.

The merman hissed at her, thrashing his tail at even that minute movement. He probably wasn’t used to hearing vocal cords work in that manner and her words obviously made no sense in his ears. That had to be distressing, to be able to see a creature similar to your kin and yet having no clue what they were saying. It would be enough to make anyone concerned.

Hanji stilled, mentally preparing to throw herself backwards and take the binoculars with her. She heard Moblit’s voice through the adrenaline roaring in her ears.

“ _Just leave them!_ ” He hissed, catching the merman’s attention.

Silver eyes slitted and the merman launched himself forward, teeth snapping. He was a blur, propelling himself forward with nothing more than a single, powerful flick of his tail. His strength was astonishing, frightening even. Hanji reeled back, binoculars in hand, and rolled away to scramble upright before she remembered herself and ducked down. She turned her eyes on the inky water quickly, hearing a guttural snarl.

Vibrant fins flared out in threat, flushed with blood, and those dark eyes flickered quickly between the two humans, sizing them up.

Hanji held a hand up to Moblit, palm out, to signal him to stop.

“Don’t. Move.”

They both froze, half-crouched to make themselves seem smaller. The last thing they needed was to make the merman believe that they were challenging him.

Moblit fidgeted, not wanting to risk the raven’s ire by remaining too close. “We have to move.”

“I know.”

“Let me just-” Moblit inched closer to the brunette, instantly regretting the idea when their observer started thrashing in the water.

Hanji flinched, watching a clawed hand shoot up and latch onto the bank. The mer was coming after them.

“Back up. Back up, quickly!” Hanji hissed, waving Moblit back as she backed up herself. “He wants us gone. That is a threat if I ever saw one. I can’t believe he hasn’t tried to tear us apart by now.”

“It’s probably for the mermaid’s sake.” Moblit supplied, pacing backwards carefully.

The two humans watched the arduous task that the merman had before him, noting how quickly he had gotten his whole upper body out of the water despite his weight. Needle sharp teeth snapped at them. That growling, like a low rumble of thunder in the distant sky, never stopped.

“Damn, you’re right.” Hanji agreed, considering Moblit’s statement. “Loverboy probably doesn’t want to scare his little beau too much if he doesn’t have to.”

Moblit yanked on her arm. “We need to move-”

“Don’t stand upright!” The brunette hissed, tugging the man back down into an awkward crouch. “Stay low, for Christ’s sake. If he thinks either of us is trying to put on an intimidation display, he’ll interpret it as a challenge for his right to court.” Wary eyes turned on the merman, wide and unblinking. “None of us want to see what it takes to be champion of this lake.”

Slowly but surely the two scientists backed away, noticing how the raven slid back into the water once he saw that they were departing. They were still able to hear the merman’s growled threats from the edge of the forest and Hanji figured that he would stay there to make sure the threats had been properly warded off before returning to his mermaid. Hanji and Moblit ran the rest of the way, collapsing in the first clearing they came across. Out of breath, the pair gasped for air in equal parts exertion and panic.

Moblit slumped against the trunk of a tree, sliding down it at an odd angle and not bothering to right himself.

“D-Did that really just happen?” Hanji wheezed, leaning heavily on her own tree.

“It did. Christ, it did.”

“Jesus.” The brunette huffed, taking off her glasses to clean them and finding herself unable to keep from laughing. She turned, leaning back against the tree trunk as she polished the lenses of her glasses against her shirt with a sigh as her giggling died down. “So much for going undetected.”

Moblit made an almost alarmed sound of agreement, a kind of startled hum, and he shifted around to find a more comfortable way to sit. It was a fruitless effort; the gnarled tree roots dug into his back from all angles. He gave up.

“W-We’ll have to stay away for a few days for sure.” The man muttered, still breathing hard.

The adrenaline was slowly fading. Moblit lifted a hand, giving a weary chuckle when he found he couldn’t stop shaking slightly.

“Dammit.” Hanji clicked her tongue, sliding her glasses back onto her face and frowning in thought.

They couldn’t really afford to miss even one whole day of observation. Any more than two would completely ruin their reports.

“How will we monitor progress?” The brunette wondered aloud.

“Maybe only o-one of us will go at a time?” Moblit suggested, swallowing to get some moisture in his throat as it felt dry all of a sudden. “Or we could find some high ground to work from?”

“High ground would be good but we’d have to relocate the whole camp up that damned mountain.” Hanji sighed. “It would be too much work and we’d lose a day moving our gear at any rate.”

“One at a time, then? We’ll take shifts filming throughout the day?”

The brunette gave a single-shouldered shrug and nodded. “Sounds good enough.”

Moblit nodded, heaving himself from the ground and onto slightly-shaky legs. “Just to film?” He asked to clarify.

“Yeah.” Hanji nodded.

It would be dangerous for them to attempt to cart all their equipment back to the lake again tomorrow. More than one person moving about would surely catch the merman’s attention – he was likely to be on higher alert after that incident.

“How about Mike, then?” Moblit uttered, brushing dirt from his shins and straightening. “He’s the stealthiest of us anyway.”

Hanji pushed off from her tree and the two started back towards their camp.

“I’ll ask him when we get back.” The brunette said.

 

They didn’t catch up with Mike and Nanaba; the other two had made their way back to camp without pausing so that they could get the gear and their recorded data to safety. Hanji praised them for that.

She was about to explain the plan for tomorrow when Mike extended a hand to her. In his massive paw he held the satellite phone.

“You’re not going to like it.” The big man said.

That was all he said, too.

Hanji’s previously calm features fell, morphing into a different type of calm that somehow managed to look icy and angry and blank all at once and Moblit retreated to the farthest corner of their shelter, anticipating bad things.

The brunette left the shelter, scaling down the tree it was perched in, and started to pace as she held the phone to her ear.

“Hello?”

Oh geez, even Hanji winced a little at the murderous tone of her own voice.

“Miss Zoe, can you explain to me why I was, and I quote, “put on hold” by one of your employees?”

“Nile motherfucking Dok.” Hanji clenched her free hand into a fist, her grip on the phone bordering on painful. “I should have known it was you calling. What the fuck were you thinking?! I told you never to call us unless you got the go ahead that we were in a safe zone!” The brunette fumed.

She stormed back and forth, pacing wildly around the little clearing while her boss went through the long and tiresome task of explaining just why the fuck he had broken their rules and contacted the team before they got back.

Hanji nearly dropped the phone when his explanation came to a close.

“What do you mean…captive?” The words left her mouth but Hanji felt numb.

Nile’s voice droned away in her ear but all the brunette could focus on was the steadily rising anger inside her.

Nile’s “people”, as he had put it, had a captive. From the sound of it, this wasn’t a new development.

“How long has this been going on?” Hanji couldn’t let up her death grip on the phone. Her knuckles protested, whitish-yellow at the joints. “And why the fuck wouldn’t you tell me about something like this?”

Another pause. The phone creaked in protest and Hanji had to take a moment to relax her hand. Her fingers were sore as she flexed them. Taking a deep breath did not calm her as much as she had hoped but she put the phone back by her ear anyway.

“Dammit, you scumbag, these creatures are my life and you’re telling me you’ve had one in your goddamned basement for _years_? Just what the hell do you plan to do with it?”

The brunette froze upon hearing Nile’s next words.

“…no. No, you can’t. It’s a fragile bond, even I’ve got no idea what would happen if we introduced an outsider like that. Well then think about the captive! Christ, he’s barely come into contact with his own kind at all. His instincts will have no idea what to do with another fully grown merman. Jesus, what do you think he’d do to the mermaid? He’s never seen one before, doesn’t know what the heck he even is. It’d be slaughter. It’d be murder.”

 

From up in the shelter, Moblit and company heard snippets of Hanji’s half-hissed, half-shouted conversation.

“It doesn’t sound good.” Nanaba murmured, aiming a glum stair at her lap.

“Nothing the higher-ups have to say is ever good.” Mike muttered in response.

Nanaba’s sigh was more than enough of an agreement.

A few minutes passed in silence. Hanji’s voice ceased. A few moments later the brunette returned to the shelter, face drawn in bitter resignation.

“Everyone…” she spoke up immediately, not giving the others a chance to question her on the contents of the phone call, “we’re getting a new asset flown in. Should be here tomorrow evening.”

“What’s the asset?” Moblit asked quickly.

Asking pointless questions to find out what had happened would only put Hanji in a bad mood. Well…a worse mood. Moblit asked relevant questions instead and he could see the softened glance that Hanji sent his way which let him know that she was grateful for his cooperation.

“A captive merman.” The bespectacled brunette explained, unsurprised by the shocked expressions that overtook her comrades. “Taken from the ocean at six months of age.”

“No.” Nanaba knew what that meant. “Hanji, no. We came out here to study. We’re observing.”

“I don’t know what the official _plan_ is yet,” Hanji hissed out a sign, “…but it does seem like they’re planning on introducing their captive subject to the wild. Our situation is shit.”

Moblit frowned and Hanji just knew that he was going to pull out the classic Moblit almost-guilt-trip tone.

“This is their home,” the man began, voice quiet, not even bothering to speak up and that just made it worse, “we’re only guests stepping in to view their lives for a while. We have no right to upset their balance of nature. Besides…” he sighed, leaning closer, “you know a merperson raised in captivity, even a merman, will be no match for a merman raised by nature and all her cruelty. They can’t just release it into the wild; it’d be literally sending a creature to its death.”

“Nothing I haven’t told them already.” Hanji sighed in defeat. “We’ll be getting the full debrief when Nile’s people arrive. That’s all the info I was given.”

“I don’t like this.” Mike murmured from his corner.

He and Nanaba shared a look.

Hanji let go of a sigh that sounded like it hurt. “Neither do I. Until we know more, though, there isn’t much more we can do but wait.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *anticipates anger*  
> *hides*
> 
> My tumblr is haberkonium.tumblr.com and this work is under the tags:
> 
> fic:dark waters  
> snk mermaid au  
> riren mermaid au  
> merman!Levi x mermaid!Eren  
> wild!Levi x wild!Eren


	10. New

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UPDAAAAAAAAAATE!!  
> Levi!POV  
> Un-beta'd (shiiiiitt)  
> #bringonthefishporn

Levi blinked. Blinked again, flushing water out of his eyes with his second set of lids.

What the fuck was he looking at?

The merman blinked water out of his eyes with his extra lids, peering up at the shore in suspicion. His grey orbs slitted, zeroing in on two foreign shapes loitering all too close to his waters. He suppressed the urge to growl at the closest of the creatures.

Crouched on the shore not two metres away was…well, Levi wasn’t sure what it was really. His initial anger switched to irritated confusion as he recognised the familiar shape of a mermaid. This thing had the same shape as Eren, all gangly limbs and messy hair, and the merman had had half a mind to chew this mer out for interrupting his advances on Eren. But there was something off about this being. He felt wary of them.

The creature froze as he rose up out of the water to look at it properly, tensing up in what was probably fear. These creatures certainly smelled afraid, but that was just about the only thing that the merman could tell about them from scent alone. That in itself was troubling. Levi inhaled, nostrils flaring, and he let his gills flick open for the briefest of moments to taste the air. He had never come across anything like this scent before. Warm-blooded and afraid. That was all the merman could discern from the smell he took in.

Levi flattened his ears back against his head and hissed at the land bound mers, baring a mouthful of sharp teeth in threat, but he did not lunge just yet. Irritation swarmed within the raven. He desperately wanted to get back to his mate but his protective instincts would not allow him to leave without being sure that these things were of no threat to himself or to Eren. The two creatures seemed harmless enough, just sitting there tensed and blinking at him dumbly. Levi was glad that Eren was not this insufferable.

Maybe these mers were from Eren’s pod, Levi reasoned. Maybe they had come looking for him? How inconvenient. The raven glowered at the thought of Eren’s former guardians going out of their way to track down the mermaid and bring him home. Eren was perfectly safe under his care. Just the thought of Eren’s pod not trusting him with one of their kin had Levi bristling but he knew that he couldn’t attack the brunet’s podmates without reason.

Besides, these mermaids were strange. They weren’t acting like mermaids at all; all the ones that Levi had ever encountered before had been too scared to stick around long enough to even see what he was. Eren had been the first to remain and stay to interact with him.

Levi narrowed his eyes, roving those slitted orbs over the creatures before him. There were two that he could see but his ears didn’t have to strain all that much to pick up the crunch and snap of underbrush that told him there had been more of these odd land mers before he had arrived. He hoped that his presence had scared most of them off.

Slitting his gaze further, the merman observed the remaining creatures. They were oddly pale compared to Eren’s flesh which had been coaxed to a beautiful golden hue by the sun’s rays, and while these beings looked similar to Eren with their surplus of limbs, their smell was off. The merman kept coming back to that odd smell. These scents were foreign in the merman’s nose; Levi didn’t recognise them at all. Usually when a merman smelled a mermaid, there was a sense of recognition even if they had never met before. It was how they established kin and, later, potential partners. One decent whiff could tell a mer how old another was, how they were feeling, whether or not they were mated, and where they had been recently. But these mers smelled off. There was barely any trace of the forest on them and their forms were covered. Levi wasn’t sure what it was that they were swathed in but he didn’t like it. He didn’t like these mers at all with their odd paleness and unnatural scents.

Levi growled in warning, a low and quiet sound that built in his throat and reverberated in his chest. His ears pressed back further, flattened against his skull to let these creatures know that he was suspicious of them. The merman treaded water, his tail moving slowly, just enough to keep him from sinking back under the surface. His instincts were flaring up and the raven flexed clawed fingers.

Maybe one of the two could explain themselves? The merman didn’t want to have to fight; he had already spent a long time fighting off other mermen just to be able to spend time with Eren. All he wanted was to lie with his mermaid and see how close they could become before his mating instincts became too strong to ignore.

And if these odd mers could explain themselves and move the fuck on then they could go on their way and Levi could return to Eren. Everyone would be happy.

It seemed like a reasonable compromise.

Levi never got a chance to implement his plan to request (more like demand) an explanation because in the next instant one of the strange mers moved. The brown-haired one, the one closest to the merman, leaned ever-so-slightly forward, reaching for an odd looking thing resting on the edge of a log. Levi watched its fingers closing around a strip of dark hide attached to the same, oblong piece of who knows what. Even the object smelled funny but apparently this mer-thing wanted it. How strange.

A few sounds caught the merman’s attention and his gaze snapped back up to observe the lanky, brown-haired land mer. He realised it was trying to talk to him. Levi’s ears flicked forward, twitching to take in the noises that fell clumsily from the odd mer’s mouth.

Alarmingly, however, he could not make out what the strange sounds meant. When the creature spoke, Levi blinked. He was unable to comprehend any of the noises that the creature made. That startled Levi and the merman hissed in an instant, flattening his ears back against his head even as his fins spread out further in their threat display. Whatever these things were, Levi did not like them. He did not trust them around Eren and the merman whipped his tail against the water in threat.

The closest of the land mers froze up at his hiss and Levi was just beginning to feel relieved. If these things understood the threat in his voice then perhaps that at least meant some of his message was getting across. Levi wasn’t sure what they had said but maybe these things could understand him?

Before the merman could become relaxed, however, the other creature let out a string of odd noises that were remarkably similar to a hiss. Levi didn’t know what it meant but it sounded like a threat. Were these strange mers responding to his threat? Were they challenging him for the right to court Eren? Was Eren in danger?

The merman’s instincts kicked in, the urge to protect Eren and drive away threats surging to the forefront of his mind, and Levi lurched forward with a harsh snap of his jaws. Tail propelling him forwards, he lunged for the strange mermaid. He missed being able to snag hold of the creature because he had not aimed all that high up the shore, and the merman sank back into the water when he realised that he would not be able to ensnare his target.

Levi snarled, feeling the vibrations travel through his body. The urge to get his hands on something, to rip into a body with the intent to hurt, to kill, was dizzying. Levi couldn’t imagine how he would be able to return to Eren like this, so riled with the need to protect and defend his right as champion. The sound of Eren’s anxious cries reached Levi’s ears and the plaintive calls tried to pull the merman back across the lake to comfort the smaller mer. It took all of the raven’s resolve not to turn tail on this threat and head back for his mate. He wanted to return, but Eren wasn’t safe yet, from these odd creatures or from Levi himself. He was too lost to his instincts right now and hurrying back to Eren would only end badly. Levi would need to wait a little longer.

The dark-haired merman glanced between the two creatures quickly, noting the odd way they perched on their hind legs. They were hesitating, eyeing him as he eyed them, and Levi considered charging the pair. He flexed his fins, making sure that the flushed scales and webbing were on full display.

The creatures were making their odd sounds again, both watching him, and Levi actually writhed in distress.

What were they saying? What the damned hell was going on? Was he meant to understand them?

Anger getting the better of him, Levi lurched for the shore again and dug the claws of one hand into the damp soil, burrowing his fingers into the ground to get a good grip. He’d had enough. The merman began to haul himself up towards the land mers, getting his torso free of the water and growling the whole time to make sure that these morons knew that they were pissing him off. Levi was wasting valuable time that he could have been using to get Eren comfortable for their mating. But nothing ever went the way Levi expected or planned when it came to Eren.

Finally the strange mers seemed to get the message, and the message was _scram_. The merman watched as the two foreign creatures turned tail and bolted, scrambling away, and Levi let himself fall back into the lake. Relief washed over him and the cold water helped to cool him off after all of the excitement. Levi prowled along the shoreline while he waited to get himself back under proper control. He surfaced a few times to scent the air and search for any signs that those damned weird mers weren’t gone. The merman couldn’t see anything threatening but he remained by that stretch of shore for a while longer, growling and grumbling for a few minutes afterwards to make sure that those pesky creatures wouldn’t come back.

Levi snuffled, getting water out of his nose after the troublesome business of thrashing around to scare off the land mers. What odd creatures. The merman sincerely hoped that he had seen the last of them.

Did Eren have to deal with idiots like that when he went through the forest? Were there those types of creatures living in his pod?

What a worrying thought. Levi hoped that his mate didn’t socialise with beings like that too often.

Slowly, as anger ebbed from the raven, he became aware of noises.

Eren. Eren was still calling to him.

The merman spun around in the water with an answering bark, the sound pitching from his throat a little higher than usual in his surprise.

How could he have forgotten about his precious mate for even a moment?

Levi dove beneath the surface, darting through the water so quickly that he ended up splashing a startled Eren upon resurfacing some moments later. The brunet squeaked and scrambled backward for the safety of the pond, eyeing Levi warily for a few moments while the merman clicked and cooed at his little mate to come out again.

_It’s safe now._

_I won’t hurt you._

 Eren regarded the merman for a moment longer, edging nearer and giving a few nervous clucks like he thought the raven would lose his cool at any moment.

Levi didn’t blame the mermaid; he was barely hanging on to his few remaining threads of control. He needed Eren closer, in his arms, under his tongue, and then the raven hoped that he would be able to calm himself. Levi crooned, tempting the mermaid closer with the low and comforting vibrations, and finally Eren was within his reach. The merman pushed up with a flick of his tail, clutching at the rocks with one hand for support and reaching to cup Eren’s jaw with the other.

Apparently deciding that Levi could be trusted once more, Eren relaxed and flopped down onto the rocks to lie on his belly, reaching down to touch Levi’s hair and elongated ears. The younger mer’s long fingers were gentle for the most part, almost teasing near the sensitive spot where Levi’s lobes met his jaw. Eren was easily distracted by the involuntary twitching of the raven’s ears whenever that spot was touched and he squeaked when Levi tossed his head to distance those mischievous hands. From the way Eren snickered, the merman knew that his mate was aware of how much of a twerp he was being.

The brunet made a sound somewhere between a purr and a hum, seeming pleased now that his merman had returned and calmed down from his thrashing session over by the other side of the lake. Eren reached for Levi, smiling and rolling onto his back to let his head hang over the edge of the rock ledge. The silly mer blinked owlishly at the merman from upside down, yapping merrily at the raven.

Levi stretched up and licked Eren’s nose to shut him up. The brunet just scrunched up his nose in response, shaking his head and sending droplets of water flying. Eren’s hair was beginning to dry, getting fluffy again, and the mermaid flicked his ears back and forth.

Cute. Levi butted his head against the brunet’s forehead, a sign of affection, and the raven chortled in amusement when Eren whined in complaint. Apparently he thought that Levi had a hard head.

A bird took off overhead, taking to the skies in a flurry of feathers, and the merman startled. Eren called to him, soft and concerned, and Levi huffed out a sigh. He was still tense after their interruption. Even little sounds were making him anxious now and the merman did not want to upset his mate by being so edgy. He couldn’t help it though.

Eren clicked for Levi’s attention, missing the merman’s warmth and presence in the little rock pool, and he whimpered for his suitor to join him once more.

It was impossible to deny the little mer completely and Levi stretched further out of the water to drape an arm over Eren’s collar, closing his hand around one shoulder. The mermaid squirmed but was happy enough to be close again. Eren hummed in content and stretched forward to nuzzle the raven’s throat, mouthing at greyish skin.

Levi knew that it was only a playful gesture but it warmed his blood anyway. In dark ways that made him want to drag this mermaid down into the lake right then and there, and in other ways that made Levi want to cradle this precious, happy little creature in his arms for as long as he lived. Eren was too naïve, too sweet and innocent to join Levi’s world. The raven almost convinced himself to abandon all hopes of ever taking Eren as a mate, wondering if it would be better for Eren if Levi just let him go. But then the merman recalled the events of this morning, wanted to growl at even the thought of another creature treating _his_ Eren with unkindness, and Levi knew that he wouldn’t be able to let the mermaid go.

Hands tugged at Levi’s shoulders, little clicks and yips imploring him to come back up to the pool.

The raven couldn’t shake off the feeling of paranoia that clung to his mind all of a sudden. He didn’t want to risk them being interrupted again and the merman no longer felt safe out in the open.

He needed to get Eren to a more secure location.

Levi felt anxious after his alarming encounter with the odd, land-bound creatures, and he worried that there could be eyes on them.

Perhaps more of the strange intruders were lurking about somewhere? What if they wanted to take Eren away from him?

Speaking of Eren, the mermaid seemed to pick up on Levi’s distress because the little mer licked at his throat, probably trying to comfort the merman. Levi wanted to be comforted, wanted to be able to return the mermaid’s affection, but he couldn’t while his instincts told him that they weren’t safe.

It couldn’t be helped, then.

Coaxing Eren to let go of him, Levi slid back down into the water. He warbled for Eren to follow him, clicking once in confirmation when the brunet gave a questioning whimper. The mermaid followed as Levi swam onwards and the raven led Eren around the shore once again. Traveling was faster this time thanks to the mermaid not being either freezing or starving and soon enough Levi paused by a little trough in the side of the bank. From the looks of things, a boulder must have once sat there lodged in the dirt. The rock was there no longer, however, and in its place there was a carved space in the shore that would be a perfect place to curl up and rest.

The merman paused, casting a longing look further along the lake in the direction of his territory and by default his lair. Fog still drifted about, thinning now that the day was finally warming, and the lake shone whitish-grey on the surface with reflected clouds.

A part of Levi, a large part, wanted to continue leading Eren along the shore until they reached the safety of his cave. It wouldn’t take long to get the mermaid through the water and into the cave itself if he could just get Eren to follow him…

But that would be dangerous. Once the mermaid was in the merman’s lair he wouldn’t be getting out in a hurry. Levi knew that much. He feared it…feared what he might do if he scared Eren. If he _hurt_ Eren…

Levi shook off the thoughts. Eren wasn’t ready yet and Levi would not rush him even if he wanted to. Instincts be damned, waiting was the only option. Even if it took him weeks to get Eren into the water, Levi would wait for him as long as he could. If he drove Eren away by moving too wuickly, Levi feared that he would remain alone, mate-less, for years to come. He may never find another match and the raven had lived alone long enough to know that he would sooner perish than return to the sea on his own.

With a huff, the merman turned back to the bank. The space there was suitable and he had come to rest there before. The water reached into the gap, so Levi had no fears of becoming dehydrated, and it would be shallow enough to put Eren’s mind at ease too.

That was the most important factor.

The raven swam forward and pulled himself along through the shallower water, finding soft plants and a few smooth stones beneath his hands. Good. That was better than just dirt and the inevitable mud it created. That was a nightmare if it dried near his gills, although mud applied over closed gill slits was often a pleasant way to keep the sensitive skin damp on particularly warm days that the raven decided to sun himself above-water. This ground was soft enough to be comfortable and, as long as they didn’t writhe around too much, there wouldn’t be any troublesome mud to contend with.

It was practically perfect.

Once inside, Levi rolled over onto his back, tucking his fins and spines away for comfort. The trench was long enough to keep the merman’s upper body and about a third of his tail inside it, but the rest of his tail dangled down into the deeper water, drifting two and fro. It would be an ominous enough sight to ward off any other creatures and thankfully there was protection from land-based creatures as well.

A mossy log had fallen over the top of the short trench, providing some shelter from above with its branches and clusters of dead leaves. The ceiling would help to keep out some of the wind, at least, and that was always a good thing. It was the privacy that Levi was craving, though, and this spot was perfect.

A questioning trill sounded nearby and Levi gave an answering bark to let Eren know where he was. Moments later the brunet poked his head over the side of the bank above, whimpering anxiously at the steep slope.

It was quite steep now that the raven paid attention and he fought back a wince. There were footholds at least and Levi would catch the mermaid before he could do himself any real harm from falling on the off chance that Eren did slip. He watched the brunet, grey eyes calm, patient for once. Eren bent to sniff at the grassy edge to the bank, stretching out a little to next sniff at the mossy log providing cover for the merman below. The little mer sat back, kneading the grass beneath his fingers and staring at the slope like it had personally affronted him in some way.

The way Eren’s brows furrowed and his pink lips pushed into a pout were very endearing. Levi wanted to lick at that mouth. Couldn’t, since the mermaid was still hesitating at the top of the steep part of the bank. The merman huffed in frustration, wanting Eren closer.

Levi reached for the mermaid, arms held open in both invitation and encouragement, and for a while the smaller mer fretted back and forth around the trench looking for a safe spot to climb down.

The mermaid’s soft yips and yelps went unanswered. Levi could not help him climb down; Eren would just have to find a way down on his own. The little mer seemed to realise this, whining for Levi’s help like a lost little pup until it became obvious that the merman was neither able nor willing to climb up and get him.

Eren eventually gave up on his anxious tantrum and approached the slope. Step by tentative step he descended, warbling an anxious string of little sounds about halfway down. The second half of his descent was much quicker. Eren half-crawled, half-slipped down to meet the merman, landing with a splash and a squeak in the water, caught for the most part by strong arms and a solid chest. Levi gave a snort of amusement at the surprised look on the mermaid’s face as Eren backed up and out of his hold, shook water out of his hair and preened for a moment. The brunet seeming a little anxious once he reached the channel, eyeing the opening that led directly into deeper water just a few metres away. It made sense for him to be wary, Levi was surprised that Eren had come down to him at all considering that his instincts should have told him to do otherwise, but Eren had come down to him and that spoke volumes of how far along their bond had come. In such a short time it was a huge advantage and the raven had pause for a moment to get his own excitement under control.

Levi coaxed the mermaid back, away from the opening of the channel and the deeper water, and he guided Eren closer to settle against his side. Warmth and a strong embrace welcomed him, strength that Eren would be able to count on to protect him and keep him safe. Safe and fed and loved and cared for. Whatever Eren wished for, whatever his little heart desired, Levi would ensure that he got it. Be it food, water, treasures from the deep, warmth, a bath, anything at all. For his mate, Levi would do anything.

The mermaid was restless for a while, rearranging himself in Levi’s arms. He pushed at Levi’s shoulder until the merman leaned back a little further, realising that Eren wanted an easier place to rest his head. He resettled against the slope behind them, propped up on one shoulder so that his body was at an angle and the younger mer could curl up against him with ease. The raven-haired mer brought his tail up, curling part of it against Eren’s back. The pressure there would hopefully provide comfort, something that the fretting mermaid sorely needed. It took a few moments but the shallow water and Levi’s warmth eventually calmed Eren enough for him to stop his anxious whimpering.

Eren blinked owlishly at everything, looking around to take in where they were. Above the two mers, the mossy log provided a sense of security. Green, a touch of nature, and yet not suffocating as a barrier. The dirt of the surrounding bank wasn’t all that damp, really. Damp enough not to crumble at a touch, but not enough to leave Eren’s hands blotched with clumps of caked mud. The soil washed away easily in the water. Levi absently scooped more water in the palm of one hand, tipping it over the mermaid’s skin in places to rinse off stray dirt after his little tumble down the slope. Pale fingers coaxed the soil away, the merman ever mindful of his claws. If anything, Eren seemed content with the attention.

The poor little thing, still so starved of affection from only a single night of being shunned by his pod, his family. Levi dreaded to think what would have happened if he had not come to meet Eren right away. He hoped to his core that nothing of such a nature would ever befall his mermaid ever again.

How could anything or anyone be so cruel to such an innocent creature, Levi thought. The merman regarded his little mate, watching while the brunet sniffed at him happily, and fondness swelled in his chest. Such a naïve little thing his Eren was. Sweet, affectionate, too curious for his own good.

Damn it all; Levi was smitten.

The mermaid was much more at ease then and easily settled against the merman’s chest, half curled up on his side and nestling close for warmth. This was becoming a regular occurrence and one that the raven didn’t mind in the slightest. The fact that Eren could take comfort in his presence brought an indescribable happiness to the merman. A feeling of what could have been completeness. Levi felt more whole with his mermaid near, breathing in the contentment in the smaller creature’s scent. Things like this, even something as simple as snuggling and sharing body heat, would be Levi’s responsibility soon. He had lived in solitude for the majority of his life, only having to care for himself, feed himself, watch out for himself. Now a whole other living, breathing creature was being handed to him by fate and the merman knew he would have to step up his game to ensure that both he and his mate would live happily. Keeping Eren warm, keeping him fed and happy and healthy; all of those things would become Levi’s duty once he and Eren became proper mates.

All that was out of his hands for now. As long as Eren returned to his pod each night, Levi couldn’t stake that final claim. He couldn’t make Eren his completely. That was okay, though. All good things in time.

Levi looked forward to caring for Eren.

Right now he had his work cut out for him. Their surrounds were quiet and peaceful, the air had finally settled at a comfortable temperature, and even the water wasn’t too icy.

The little mer would not settle, though. Levi wasn’t sure what was wrong. He wasn’t sure if anything _was_ wrong, at least not with the mermaid. There was no spiking distress in Eren’s scent, nor fear or panic. Nevertheless, the brunet squirmed, stretching to get out of Levi’s grip, to get closer. Eren kept shifting and sniffing at him, making soft sounds of concern as he tried to ascertain if the merman was okay.

Oh. _Oh_ … Levi understood abruptly. _He_ was what was wrong. It was _Levi_ that was causing Eren to become unsettled.

The raven grimaced, trying to calm his own scent. He hadn’t even noticed how aggressive he was coming off as and the merman immediately started to croon to the smaller mer, trying to reign in the dominant smell that had risen up in the air between them. He wasn’t normally so agitated and it took a moment for Levi to register that he was still agitated from the interruption to his and Eren’s bonding time. Those odd land-bound creatures had been troubling to say the least, getting the raven’s instincts raging inside of him, and he hadn’t had an outlet yet.

Maybe he would spar with Farlan later on? Sometime during the night, perhaps? He would have to, anything to get himself back into a calm headspace.

Right now he wasn’t safe. He was endangering Eren, would be until he could calm himself down.

_Breathe._

_In and out. In and out._

_Calm down. Can’t frighten Eren. Mustn’t worry Eren._

Levi berated himself mentally for allowing himself to become so riled by the intruders from before, letting his scent become distressed enough for Eren to notice. And Eren had noticed, Levi knew, because _Eren_ started to croon to _him_ and lick his throat – all an attempt to comfort the merman and calm him down.

How odd. How very out of character for a mermaid. Levi knew that they were easily frightened creatures, he had seen so over his many years of wandering although that had always been from afar, and yet here was this mermaid actively putting itself in jeopardy to try and comfort its mate. Eren’s own instincts must have been warring in his head, pushing him to leave, but the smaller mer never once displayed any signs that he wished to flee. If anything he clutched the merman closer, licked up his throat, mouthed at the soft skin by his gills, and nuzzled his face into damp strands of inky hair.

Gradually Levi’s scent faded, losing its aggression in favour of a sweeter, contented smell while Eren groomed him relentlessly. Skin tingling, Levi let his eyes close to better appreciate the feeling.

The merman let his head fall back, leaving himself pliant under Eren’s tongue, and he thanked the Earth Mother for sending him such a sweet and caring mermaid to be his mate. Eren started to groom the raven, cooing and reaffirming their bond without a moment’s hesitation. Levi knew that it should be the other way around and _he_ should be the one providing comfort, but after the events of the day the merman couldn’t deny that he felt frazzled. So he let Eren’s presence comfort him.

Minutes stretched on and Levi didn’t move other than to breathe. The mermaid seemed to accept this, moving about once he finished cleaning Levi’s throat. Apparently happy with the merman’s subdued scent, Eren went exploring about the limited space of the channel, splashing about in the water around the raven. Levi felt the water move against his skin and scales so there was never any worry in his mind about where Eren was. The young mer wasn’t exactly subtle. It was endearing, really.

Eren wasn’t quiet either. He yapped merrily as he dashed about, finding things to entertain himself with while Levi rested and made sure that he was properly in control of himself this time around. The brunet scampered past the merman’s head several times, pausing to lick at his nose or nuzzle his face every so often.

The dark-haired mer couldn’t remember a time when he’d felt so doted on.

Dark eyes opened, watching the mermaid splash about with little care for the creatures he was disturbing throughout the lake. Levi was glad that he was around the little mer; every merman in the lake would be on Eren in seconds if he wasn’t already spoken for and clearly being guarded. The raven didn’t like the thought of that. He was used to Farlan, he was even used to Erwin after interacting with the blonde for so long, but even the thought of either of the mermen coming anywhere near his Eren had Levi’s fins briefly flushing red.

Levi was grateful that the mermaid had not been paying attention to him at the time. He made sure to calm himself quickly, focusing on the brunet’s happy yips and delighted smiles.

No other merman would have him. Levi would make sure of that, keep him safe and sound.

Eren camp scampering back to him then, squeaking in excitement and presenting the raven with a squirming fish trapped in one of his hands. The mermaid’s claws dug into the scaly creature just enough that it wouldn’t slip out of his grasp and Eren offered the morsel to Levi with a hopeful trill. He clicked at the merman until Levi accepted, allowing Eren to press the fish to his mouth. The raven-haired mer accepted the gift, parting thin lips and sinking his teeth into the scales of the fish where Eren held it against his lips. It was an easy task to stop the fish from squirming, biting down twice to ensure that the snack was dead. Levi bit the creature in half, letting his teeth mash the rest and crunch through frail bones until he could safely swallow. The last of the minced fish was offered to Eren and Levi leaned up to join their mouths together. The mermaid was far more eager this time around, already aware of what the raven was offering him, and he purred in the quiet at being treated so fondly by his mate.

The brunet swallowed his mouthful, smiling as he licked at Levi’s mouth once, then twice, in a show of gratitude before the smaller mer bounded off again. Levi watched him go, springing about in the water like a clumsy frog, and he couldn’t help but smile at the energetic little thing that was his mate.

Levi watched in silent amusement as Eren attempted repeatedly to submerge his head under the water. The mermaid’s approach to the surface was always the same, slow, wary process of inching nearer and nearer. Then, as soon as his nose touched the cool water, Eren would snort and rear back as if stung. He managed to get his face under the water but came straight back up again spluttering and looking like a bedraggled cat. This went on for a whole five minutes, over and over again, until finally the mermaid gave up with a disgruntled snort and sought out new entertainment.

He found it in the form of Levi’s tail. The appendage drift lazily back and forth and Levi suspected that it was the movement that caught Eren’s attention. The mermaid bounded at the dark tail when it moved, leaping back and forth and yapping like he was playing with one of his podmates. Levi let the end of his tail curl up out of the water, leaning the flukes over to tap Eren atop his head, and the brunet blinked in surprise at the action. Levi’s tail was back in the water by the time the mermaid reacted, barking at the appendage and stalking over to it with a huff. It was only half-submerged due to the shallowness of the water and Eren stepped over so that he had his left hand and left knee on one side of Levi’s tail and his right hand and knee on the other. The brunet sniffed at Levi’s blue-grey scales, making a string of intrigued sounds.

Meanwhile Levi was left rolling his eyes and resisting the urge to groan at the way Eren so carelessly presented himself without even being aware of what he was doing. That was just the way Eren was and there was nothing to be done about it. Not yet at least. Levi was content enough to grit his teeth and bear with suppressing his urges to pounce on the brunet for now but did Eren really have to arch his back like that just to sniff at his tail?

_Just a few more days, Levi._

_You can wait a few more days._

He could wait. It would just be frustrating.

He exhaled, accepting that it was his fate to wait, and returned to watching the lively brunet inspecting his tail like he wasn’t sure if it was a friend or a foe. Cute, really.

An idea presented itself to the merman suddenly and Levi couldn’t resist going through with it. He waited, making sure that Eren’s limbs were balanced properly so that he wouldn’t fall to either side, and the merman flexed his tail muscles to raise the appendage out of the water. It pressed against the mermaid’s front, lifting higher still until it was up in the air enough that the young mer’s hands and feet couldn’t touch the lakebed.

Eren squealed in surprise and excitement as he was lifted suddenly by the raven’s tail, the powerful muscles shifting to raise him partially off from the ground. His feet could still reach the water and the brunet stretched them down in an attempt to find the ground. He failed, trilling happily at this new game.

Levi smirked at the mermaid’s excited flailing, watching the boy snatch at the air and reach for the lake despite already knowing that he would not be able to reach it. The merman began to feel the strain of keeping both his tail and the mermaid up but he waited a little longer, not wanting to deny Eren his fun. The little mer did so love to play and this was one of few things that Levi could entertain the boy with. A little too much excitement had the brunet sliding to one side and Levi felt his chest swell with fond amusement when Eren hugged his tail tight to keep from slipping off.

That was probably enough of that sort of fun for one day, Levi thought. The raven lowered Eren once more to the water, unable to keep from smiling when Eren tried to turn to him immediately and half-slipped in his eagerness.

Eren spluttered, still beaming in elation as he scrambled back towards Levi amidst sputtered warbles of excitement. The mermaid came to a skidding stop by the raven’s torso, instantly falling into Levi’s waiting arms.

Warm wetness his Levi’s cheek as Eren started licking at his face, still buzzing with excitement and trying not to squirm. The brunet butted his head against the merman’s shoulder and nuzzled into the space beneath his chin.

Levi liked seeing Eren so happy. He had never thought much of his own happiness before, being content enough so long as he was able to find a decent meal every day or two. He didn’t know what he would do without this energetic little bundle of joy in his arms.

If Eren ran away, Levi felt certain that he would never feel truly happy again. The thought was almost distressing. He would never have another mate after Eren, no matter the circumstance. Eren would be his first partner and his last. If Levi could protect Eren, even if it cost him his own life, he would do so.

And if this was the way he felt now, at the beginning of their bonding, then the merman could not even begin to think of how he would feel for Eren once they were finally mated.

Rolling onto his side, the older mer clutched his mate close and took comfort in Eren’s closeness, in the vulnerability of his little mate’s softness in his arms. Eren’s front brushed Levi’s, the soft skin of their bellies touching, and a gentle purr stirred in the merman’s throat. This closeness, this intimacy, was everything that he wanted in that moment. Just to be close with his future mate.

The merman licked Eren’s nose when the brunet leaned back to look at him and Levi nuzzled the side of the mermaid’s face. The skin there was still damp, but warm against his cheek. Levi could feel strands of russet hair tickling his face and could see the little flecks of scales along Eren’s ear. He darted his tongue out, licking the shell of Eren’s ear with the dark, wet muscle, and watched the brunet twitch and press his ear back against his head for a moment before it flicked forward again.

Still purring, Levi sought out the scaled patch of flesh on Eren’s throat where his scent was the strongest and rubbed his face there. He wanted to be covered in that sweet aroma, to replace his own scent with the smell of Eren. Only Eren.

The mermaid panted at the attention, squirming until the merman hushed him. Levi’s purr morphed into a croon, a sound meant to settle the brunet, and the raven coaxed the younger mer’s head to the side so that he could slide their throats together. It was slick where their skin met, their respective glands responding to the touch and releasing more scent in response. Levi’s scent gland tingled pleasantly and he shuddered, feeling contentment wash over him in waves. For now it was a pleasant warmth that spread from the affected gland through to the rest of his body. Levi had never felt particularly sensitive in this way before he had started courting and the new feelings were strange but welcome.

Beneath him, his little mate stilled, limbs coming to a sluggish pause while the merman continued to rub their glands together. He wondered if Eren’s podmates would be able to smell the claim on him tonight. Would that get him into more trouble? Levi hoped not. Eren had already seen enough damage at the hands of his supposed family.

That was only if the brunet decided to return, of course, but the merman did not hold out high hopes of him staying.

Eren shivered in Levi’s arms and a funny little noise caught in his throat. He stilled again.

The mewl that left Eren’s lips next sounded…confused. He wasn’t moving and Levi froze at the mermaid’s sudden uncertainty, pulling away immediately to look at the brunet. Eren stared back, still panting, eyes hooded and brows pinched together. He was trembling.

Levi pressed a hand to the young mer’s skin to check his temperature, flicking his tongue out against Eren’s throat, but the brunet was perfectly warm. He couldn’t be shivering from the cold.

Was he sick, then? Had Levi’s earlier suspicions of warming Eren too quickly caused the poor boy to fall ill?

A questioning trill left the raven’s throat and he cocked his head, concerned. If Eren was sick it would be half his fault for heating his body too quickly in the rock pools beforehand and an illness could throw off their bonding time by weeks if it was serious. Levi started to sniff the mermaid, looking for any injuries, any sign that his mate was hurt or distressed.

Eren didn’t smell hurt, though. Or worried. There was nothing negative to be found in the mermaid’s scent. In fact Levi almost didn’t believe what the younger mer’s scent _was_ telling him.

Sweetness laced with a new, almost static buzz and a heavy flavour that Levi could feel settling at the back of his throat.

Eren was aroused.

Oh…oh shit.

Levi let out a harsh breath, feeling his body responding involuntarily. He had their positions reversed in an instant, Eren lying beneath him suddenly with the raven hovering over him. The mermaid yelped in alarm, blinking up at the merman with wide eyes. He reached for Levi regardless of the wariness in his eyes, whining for something he didn’t yet understand. The raven let Eren clutch at his shoulders, unable to turn away from him, unable to flee as he knew he should.

Bad. This was bad. Eren might have been aroused but he wasn’t slicking, he wasn’t ready for Levi to mate him yet. The poor mermaid squirmed, whimpering in his effort to hike his legs up around the merman’s back. He just wanted to be close to his mate, unaware of what his body even wanted.

Levi’s body, on the other hand, was more than aware. The raven was already half hard, his cock ready to slip free of the protective slit where his upper tail met his torso. There was nothing he could do; the merman’s limbs had locked up in his shock, leaving him frozen, and every breath he took was laced with Eren’s sweet scent. The aroma called to him, thick with pheromones, and Levi grimaced as he hardened completely.

A huff of a breath left the merman as his slit opened and his length slipped free. Levi hissed at the chill of the air against the sensitive skin and Eren’s answering squeak alerted the raven that it was too late to attempt to hide his condition, or flee for that matter. Looking down, Levi found wide teal eyes locked on a spot somewhere between them and he knew there would be no hiding. Eren was a curious little thing. Levi wouldn’t be able to distract the younger mer long enough for his member to soften again. When a tanned arm extended, long fingers reaching for him curiously, the raven gave up on the idea entirely.

Levi clenched his jaw, fighting back an urge to sink his teeth into the skin of Eren’s throat, and gripped the smaller mer’s hips instead. He rolled to one side, pulling Eren with him, and the brunet yipped in shock as his world shifted. The brunet scrambled for purchase, catching himself on the merman’s waist, and settled against the thicker part of Levi’s tail. Wide eyes blinked, taking in their new position. Levi settled on his back in the shallow water, clawed hands resting atop Eren’s thighs. His right hand slid down over the mermaid’s knee, coming to rest at the back of his calf.

Levi waited.

Of course Eren’s eyes sought out the new addition to his merman’s appearance. Blue-green orbs focused on Levi’s pelvis and the raven fought the urge to tighten his grip on the brunet. He had flipped them back over to give Eren a chance to escape if he wanted. The mermaid sat relatively still, straddling him, observing, and with every chance to scramble back up to shore should he sense the potential danger of their situation.

But Eren wasn’t running. The mermaid seemed very surprised by the new appendage; an additional feature to what Eren had already come to know of Levi. Judging by the flush that spread across the younger mer’s cheeks, he also seemed to have a fair idea of what said appendage was for. Eren swallowed and looked away, realising that if this was something that Levi usually kept covered and hidden away then it must be quite private. But the merman did not hiss or growl at him and when the brunet’s eyes flitted back over to glance shyly at the dark length Levi did not reprimand him.

Those brilliant eyes found their focus, curiosity pulling the mermaid’s gaze, and Levi swallowed and resigned himself to stillness as the brunet began to inch his way closer…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I lied, there is no mer!porn in this chapter :p but NEXT chapter...well...  
> It's 4:00am. I'm going to bed now.  
> Feedback is always welcome and thank you for reading! (and for your patience <3)


	11. Restraint

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The fish porn has arrived. The un-beta'd fish porn. God help us all.
> 
> This is probably not what people are expecting.
> 
> And I regret nothing.

Everything was too warm. Perhaps it had been Levi’s closeness, the press of his skin against Eren’s, or the sudden lack of bitter chill in the air. Whatever the reason, Eren’s skin felt too hot all of a sudden, stretched tight over his bones. The brunet’s fingertips tingled where they rested on the smooth scales of the merman’s tail. In fact the more Eren focused, he was acutely aware of every place where his and Levi’s bodies met.

The mermaid sat still, for once not squirming, all of his energy put into reading the situation. Levi was rigid, tense as he had never been around Eren before. His eyes were focused, but the usually narrowed pupils were wide and dark. The mermaid hadn’t seen Levi’s eyes look so dark before, the silvery shade of his irises all but lost to the black. Even the merman’s breathing was heavier than usual.

Something was amiss, Eren felt. He, too, was aware of his own body acting against him, flushing hot all over.

Maybe Levi was facing the same problem? The mermaid let out a worrying sound, hoping to convey his state to Levi. The raven only grunted in response, still too tense for Eren’s liking. He didn’t want Levi to be worried but what could he do?

Sniffing, the mermaid scented the air carefully. Levi’s scent hit him like a falling tree and for a moment Eren felt winded. He had to remind his lungs to continue taking in air, shaking his head as if that would help to clear it. The mer’s eyes stung with moisture but Eren blinked the tears away, letting his mouth fall open so that he could pant.

The air felt electric, like the sky before a storm – static and wavering. It was hard to breathe all of a sudden, although not for a lack of available oxygen. Levi was everywhere, under Eren’s fingertips, in his nose, on his tongue. The mermaid shivered, confused but not upset with this new development.

He was curious though. Eren had never seen Levi like this before. Even through the haze that his mind was becoming, the mermaid could tell that Levi looked worried. He looked scared.

Scared of what? What could a creature as powerful and capable as Levi have to be afraid of?

Eren did not know, although the brunet did know that he didn’t like it when Levi was scared. It made him feel uneasy.

The raven’s chest rolled with each breath he took, his grip on Eren tensing occasionally. Eren mewled when Levi squeezed his calf a little too tight for comfort, pleased when the merman released him quickly. It did not escape Eren’s notice that Levi’s gut clenched at the sound of his mate’s voice and Eren was half tempted to make another sound just to see what would happen.

He was distracted, however, when his eyes landed once again on Levi’s lower body.

Oh. Well perhaps that was why Levi seemed so distressed. That was another thing about the raven that Eren had not witnessed before and the mermaid was abruptly certain that the merman’s wary behaviour had something to do with the new appendage. It was long and darker than the pale shade of the rest of his skin, this new part of Levi protruded from the below the v of muscle in his tail where scales merged with the flesh of his torso.

A curious growth, that much was for sure, but familiar somehow. Eren glanced down his own body, blinking in surprise, and he made a conclusion. Well, the mermaid had been curious since their first meeting and now at least he knew that Levi did have genitals just like Eren did. The smaller mer had been convinced that Levi had none at all, but he was proven wrong in this moment. In fact Levi seemed to have the same parts as Eren himself. He just kept them tucked away.

How intriguing. Maybe Levi wasn’t so different from him after all…

It was a comforting thought.

There were some obvious differences, though, and the brunet itched to investigate, but Levi was rigid beneath him almost as if he was expecting Eren to attack him. Where the merman would get an idea like that, Eren did not know. He would never raise a harmful hand towards his mate. Eren doubted he would raise a harmful hand towards anything; it just wasn’t in his nature.

A nervous cluck left the mermaid, one that he hoped conveyed that he had no hostile intentions. If Levi knew he was in no danger, hopefully he would calm down. Levi’s scent was haywire, all harsh pheromones and sweetness that stung the nose, trying to pull Eren into that hot state again. It was a tricky thing to resist and the brunet didn’t try all that hard to remain clear-headed. He let himself breathe deeply, one hand pressing against Levi’s navel to ground himself. To ground Levi also.

Tanned fingers spread out, sliding over the wet skin of the merman’s stomach, following muscles and the ridges of his ribs up along Levi’s chest. Eren blinked, feeling calm settle in him as he watched the merman beneath him. His fingers moved slowly, following the swirls and patterns of scales along the raven’s collar. He followed the pattern up one side of Levi’s throat, pressing the pad of his thumb into the scales around the merman’s gills. Levi’s scent gland, Eren realised. He wasn’t surprised that the merman had them also and it explained why the scales there always smelled so sweet. Eren rubbed the area gently for a while, feeling the skin grow slick beneath his fingers.

Levi lowered his lids, watching Eren through hooded eyes. Some of the tension bled out of him at last. Not much, definitely not all of it, but it was something. It was a start.

The merman’s hands shifted, reminding Eren of their presence on his legs. Levi’s grip was neither tense nor punishing, for now at least, and the mermaid hoped that was a good sign. His breathing had calmed a degree, even enough in rhythm, but Levi still panted.

It was enough to make the mermaid’s worries fade enough for his curiosity to take hold again.

Eren wanted to get a better look at this new difference between him and his merman but the little mer found himself frozen. He almost couldn’t make himself look away from the dark gaze holding his own stare. The mermaid recognised an authority in those eyes, one that he hadn’t noticed before. It became very obvious to Eren that Levi was holding himself back, although from what, the mermaid still did not know. Eren knew how strong Levi was, how fast he could be. If the raven so wished, he could have Eren pinned in a second. The subtle trembling in Levi’s body made the smaller mer feel like the merman was also keenly aware of this.

And yet he still allowed Eren to sit there with his little illusion of safety. The mermaid swallowed, feeling a strange urge to submit, to roll over and let Levi lead from there. It felt almost wrong to Eren to remain where he was but no other options came to mind. What else could he do but remain?

Remain and do what?

Eren whined, the sound slow and drawn out. He didn’t know what he was supposed to do and Levi made no move to help him. The merman was still tense, still panting, and if Eren didn’t know any better he might have thought that Levi seemed just as unsure as he was. And Eren did think that, he thought it so suddenly that a yelp left his throat. This situation had to be as foreign to the merman as it was to Eren himself, or else surely Levi would have _done_ something by now. He wouldn’t just be lying there, breathless just like Eren felt breathless, and waiting.

Both of them waiting. One of them would eventually have to make some sort of move. And Eren realised what kind of move he should probably make, given the reason for this whole situation. Levi had something to show him, or else he would surely have moved to put himself away by now. It had to feel strange, considering that this new appendage would not normally be kept out in the open like this. Oh. _Oh_.

Abruptly, Eren realised that a creature whose privates were usually hidden would probably feel vulnerable having them exposed so suddenly. It made sense. Levi was still unnaturally tense, almost warily so. Of course he would seem edgy revealing something like this to another creature.

Was Levi uncomfortable? Was this something that Eren was not meant to see? Surely not, if Levi hadn’t immediately tried to shield himself from view.

And it was an interesting view. Eren only snuck quick glances, although his curiosity begged more of him. Even rapid glances left his gut twisting itself in knots, but Eren wasn’t sure if the sensations were entirely unpleasant. He didn’t feel ill at all…so maybe this was a positive reaction? The brunet shuddered, still unused to the new feelings of heat in his body. He wasn’t sure why he felt so warm. Levi’s scent, maybe? It was so strong, overpoweringly so.

Eren’s skin tingled all over and he realised that he wanted Levi to embrace him, to touch him in some way. Any contact would have been acceptable. But Levi was not moving, with the exception of breathing of course.

What was he waiting for? An invitation?

It was looking increasingly like Eren would be the first one to make an advance. But what did Levi want? What did he wish of Eren? Did he want the mermaid to pay attention to the new feature he had on display? Should Eren ignore it? Focus on it?

Could he touch it? Eren whined aloud, frustrated with his own lack of knowledge in this area. There had been no opportunities to learn about this sort of thing back in his pod. Eren huffed, accepting that he would simply have to learn on the go.

He only prayed that Levi would forgive the mistakes he would undoubtedly make.

Eren steeled himself, shutting his eyes for a moment so that Levi’s stare wouldn’t unnerve him, and he decided to take a risk. Blinking his eyes open again, the brunet sucked in a breath and dropped his gaze.

The mermaid exhaled, finding himself unable to look away. The longer he stared, the more intimidated he felt. Levi might have the same equipment as the mermaid did, essentially, but Eren did not feel as comforted by that as he had originally. There was a sort of slit, a fold in the raven’s scales, that had parted in Levi’s state of arousal. That inevitably allowed his genitals to slip free of the pouch in which they were usually held and Eren was mesmerised by the sight.

Eren’s curiosity got the better of him and the smaller mer slid carefully, cautiously, along the raven’s body until he was straddling Levi’s tail just below where his slit opened. Levi’s lip curled, baring his teeth the closer Eren got and the mermaid made sure to keep very still once he was seated where he wanted to be. He gave the merman a moment to calm himself, to get used to the mermaid’s proximity. A few reassuring clicks didn’t go astray and Levi glowered in suspicion for a long moment before his grip on the mermaid slackened.

Eren took that as a sign that he was allowed to move again, although he made sure to proceed very slowly in case Levi should startle and freak out on him.

Adjusting himself accordingly, the mermaid parted his legs so that he could properly straddle the merman’s tail, and he stared down between them to compare his genitals with that of the merman. Levi gave a rumbling groan in the background but the brunet ignored him. He was too busy in his observations. Eren blinked, curious at the differences he found.

Not too different after all. The general shape was more or less the same, Eren realised. Shaft, head, balls – the same old setup. But that was about the only thing they had specifically in common.

The colour was probably the most intriguing detail, at least in Eren’s opinion. Where the mermaid’s privates were the same pinkish hue as the rest of him, Levi’s member was a dark blue-grey along the shaft, darkening further at the head which was almost black. The smaller mer leaned closer, squinting as he tried to discern whether Levi’s cock was covered in skin or scale. Maybe both? He couldn’t tell, but whatever the case it glistened. There was moisture covering the dark flesh, probably some kind of defence mechanism to keep the vulnerable skin from drying out. Eren could imagine that Levi’s privates must be sensitive if he kept them hidden away in the safety of their pouch most of the time. Such fragile flesh would probably need to be kept moist. Suddenly Levi’s wariness made perfect sense. Eren would just have to show Levi that he had nothing to fear from his mate.

The mermaid’s cock was far smaller than Levi’s impressive length. Eren relocated his hands either side of Levi’s hipbones to better balance himself. The mermaid swallowed, giving a nervous purr. The raven’s glistening cock had Eren beat in both length and girth and the mermaid let out an embarrassed whimper when he realised that he would probably become quite familiar with this particular part of Levi, although he wasn’t sure how. Just some instinct, something deep down that told him this would not be the last time he was put in this kind of situation. Hopefully Levi would know what to do.

Mostly the mermaid was glad that his instincts were telling him anything at all. He had been floundering for so long, unsure of how to react around the merman. Looking at Levi now, Eren felt like he finally had a read on the raven.

Eren knew that this sight, this vision of his mate so riled, cock, erect and throbbing under his gaze, meant that Levi wanted. It was a sign of want, of longing. And Eren was almost alarmed to know that the thing that Levi yearned for was him. Eren had done this to Levi. He understood that now. Levi was responding this way because of something that Eren had done and, while the mermaid wasn’t sure what exactly he _had_ done, Levi’s response was an intense one. The mermaid felt almost threatened at the sight of him, pupils blown, scales flushed with colour, whole body trembling almost indiscernibly. It was worrying. Eren’s nerves were set alight at the sight.

But another part of Eren felt differently. Heat coiled in his gut, rushing through his veins. It was unexplainable to the smaller mer, but he was deeply pleased at this sign of want.

Eren was surprised to find himself purring as he shifted, propping himself up on his elbows so that he was laying over the merman’s tail. Levi trilled, clicking his concern with the mermaid so close to one of his few vulnerable spots, the others being his belly and throat – all tender areas predominantly covered by skin rather than tougher scale. That was one of the reasons why mermen enjoy laying face to face with their mates, stomachs touching in a sign of trust, and also why baring the throat is such a powerful display of trust. Not just submission.

And Levi had been very trusting up until this point, but Eren could not blame the merman for being cautious.

He tried his best not to look at the raven, not wanting to lose his nerve, and he narrowed his eyes at the glistening length before him. The deep blue line of a vein crept up the underside, throbbing steadily under the brunet’s gaze. Eren felt dizzy at the sight, feeling frightened by it, wanting to run and wanting to reach out and touch all in the same instant. He almost didn’t realise he had moved at all until Levi jerked beneath him. Eren squeaked in alarm, yapping at the merman to be still and surprising himself.

Even Levi looked a little bemused, unused to being ordered around, but he stilled obediently.

It was around that moment that Eren noticed the fingers of one of his hands had dipped into the merman’s slit, met with surprising heat and a slick substance. The mermaid drew his hand back, cautiously as he did not want to hurt the sensitive area, and he examined the viscous moisture that remained on his fingertips.

It was clear and thick, slippery but not sticky, and Eren was surprised at the pleasantness of its scent. Honeyed, almost. The mermaid sniffed at his hand, and of course his next natural instinct was to bring his fingers to his mouth.

Levi’s eyes had never been so wide. The mermaid might have found it comical had he not been busy suckling the sweetness that coated his digits.

Eren hummed happily. Levi had tasted good before, but this? It was enough to make the smaller mer dazed. The mermaid gave a disoriented mewl, taking comfort when Levi’s hands found his hair, one stroking along his back with the intention to soothe. Eren leaned into the touch, shivering enough that his whole body shook with the motion.

He wanted Levi, wanted to be closer to him, wanted to touch him and be touched by him. But he also wanted to crawl away, crawl because he knew he wouldn’t be able to run with his head feeling so foggy, and the conflicting instincts were so confusing that he started to whimper. He tried to stop, to hush himself, because his whining was distressing Levi. The merman tried his best to comfort the little mer by crooning to him but it came out broken and slipped into a growl every so often.

Eren didn’t know what to do, didn’t know how to calm Levi down and make him stop growling, but a thought presented itself as he stilled in the merman’s grip, his face inches from the raven’s still-throbbing cock. Unsure of himself but determined to at least do _something_ , Eren pushed himself forward, let his mouth fall open, and set his tongue to the flesh below him.

Sweetness hit his tongue, the same, pheromone enriched slick coated to Levi’s shaft, and the merman’s reaction was instantaneous.

The raven gave a shout, a harsh, barking noise loud enough to make Eren wince but not stop, and Levi’s back bowed out of the water for a moment before he went boneless. The merman slumped back down with a groaning huff, panting ragged breaths. He was still at last, still and quiet apart of his breathing, and Eren took that as a good sign.

He dragged his tongue up the underside of Levi’s shaft, tasting the same sweetness from before. Still dizzying, creating a wonderful haze of warmth in the brunet’s mind as he lapped. And Levi seemed frozen, unable to move. His fingers twitched below the surface of the water where his hands had fallen to; Eren could see the movement out of the corner of his eye. The rest of the merman was still. His tail shuddered every so often, the end still raising and lowering in the water behind Eren.

Curious at Levi’s reaction, Eren inched up a degree and carefully, with a strong urge telling him to be mindful of his teeth, the brunet opened his mouth and slid the tip of the merman’s length past his lips.

Levi gave a jolt, his body spasming hard enough that Eren lost the cock in his mouth with a pop and a confused whimper. He didn’t have time to find out what was wrong, his questioning trill dying in his throat as the merman surged up in a rush. Strong hands grabbed for his shoulders, Levi’s grip hard enough to have Eren’s previously questioning sound morph to a yelp of discomfort.

But the merman did not let him go.

The water surged around them for a moment and Eren’s world spun. He wailed, kicking out when he could no longer feel the lakebed beneath his feet, and Levi was less than gentle settling them down. Eren winced, shivering as he registered that the raven was growling again. He thought about being scared but…even with the low snarls Levi was giving off Eren could find it in himself to fear the merman. Levi’s hold was too tight but his claws didn’t dig into him, didn’t cut him as they so easily could have.

Eren was on his back, pressed into the bank, his lower half submerged. The mermaid snapped his head up, searching for Levi’s eyes, but the merman was already closing on him with his eyes wide and feral, mouth open in another snarl. Eren didn’t have time to flinch. He let his head turn to one side, feeling Levi all but crash into him. The raven didn’t bite, though. His mouth latched onto the smaller mer’s throat, tongue hot as it laved against Eren’s scent gland, keeping his teeth to himself much to the mermaid’s surprise.

Hands gripped for his legs, a frustrated whimper sounding in Eren’s ear as Levi tried to position the mermaid how he wanted. Eren wanted to help him, unsure of what exactly the merman was trying to achieve. The most he could do was let Levi manoeuvre him, pushing his legs up towards his chest but getting frustrated halfway through. Eren found himself with his legs coaxed back together and Levi’s cock pushed between his thighs.

Unexpected. Eren blinked, surprised by the raven’s actions. Levi busied himself with sucking at the mermaid’s throat, no doubt with the intention of leaving behind some interesting marks, and his lower body was busy rolling with the movements of some rather erratic thrusting.

Heat flooded the mermaid’s body suddenly, a flurry of delightful sensations caused by Levi’s tongue on his skin. And then Levi’s teeth hit his skin, not sinking in hard enough to break the skin but enough for Eren to _feel_ it. Enough for it to hurt for a second. But then the hurt melted away into the most wonderful feeling that the little mer had ever felt before in his life. Eren’s whole body tensed for a second as that pleasurable sensation washed over him.

Heat reached Eren’s gut.

His toes curled.

The mermaid clutched tight to Levi’s shoulder, giving a worried, pitching mewl when the pleasant feeling in his body grew stronger. There was more of this nice feeling and Eren wasn’t sure what to do with it if it didn’t stop.

And then the dam broke.

Eren felt like he saw lights. Everything was white for a second, like the brightest stars in the sky at night, and for long moments afterwards the mermaid was sure he couldn’t move. Levi was still moving but Eren remained still, wanting to go limp but also desperately trying to keep holding on to the raven’s shoulders.

What had just happened?

Had Levi done that to him?

Feeling sluggish all of a sudden, the brunet managed to turn his head enough to locate the merman’s throat and he leaned in to lick at the scales there. Would it be enough to thank Levi for whatever wonderful feeling he’d just experienced? Probably not. Eren only hoped that it conveyed his affection.

An odd sound left Levi then as Eren’s tongue met his skin, a noise that sounded almost pained to the mermaid. But Levi didn’t move away or hiss or grimace, he just kept clutching at the smaller mer and mouthing at his shoulder.

Eren clicked at him, hearing the raven pant in response, and Levi shivered hard when the brunet continued to lick at his throat with all the care of an angel.

Levi seized up, barking out a stuttered sound, a call that had the mermaid’s gut clenching, and then the raven shuddered above him. Warmth painted the boy’s stomach and Eren yipped in response to the merman’s call, feeling like he had to answer but unsure why the urge came upon him so suddenly. It seemed to appeal to Levi for he went limp a mere moment later, all but slumping atop the smaller mer when his arms gave up their task of holding him upright.

Heavy. Eren’s first thought was that his mate weighed a tonne and he squirmed in protest. Levi only purred at him, however, and the mermaid yielded with a huff when it became clear that the big brute had no immediate plans to move. He did shift to one side so that Eren could breathe, though, so the brunet decided that Levi could be forgiven for trapping him like this. Just this once.

He did seem very tired, Eren noticed. Levi’s eyes were closed, his breathing steadily evening out after the earlier exertion, and the older mer bedded his head against Eren’s shoulder. It looked like he intended to rest.

Fair enough. Eren could let Levi sleep for a while considering that he had gone to their defence earlier. A troubling affair to say the least, but Levi had done a good job of driving away the intruders and Eren was proud of his mate. He wasn’t happy about being stuck under the heavier creature now, but for his earlier efforts Eren rewarded the merman by grooming his hair while Levi dozed.

And just like that the world was peaceful again. Eren nuzzled Levi’s head, fussing over the sleepy mer and then resting his cheek atop the raven’s head.

Levi’s hair was still damp. The inky strands felt cool against Eren’s hot skin.

The mermaid held Levi closer, hoping that Levi didn’t feel cold. In his arms, the raven stirred. Eren knew that Levi was awake.

He continued to nuzzle him anyway.

Levi seemed to like that, if the way he started to purr was anything to go by. Not quite a purr…a new sound that was completely foreign to the mermaid. It sounded like Levi was purring and crooning at the same time, and yet even that wasn’t enough to describe the sound. It spoke of fondness; a low rumbling, deep yet soft like rolling thunder in the distance. The noise spoke of contentment, a perfect complement to Levi’s languid licking at the brunet’s scent gland. Eren could feel the sound more than he heard it; the vibrations against his skin stirred warmth in his chest that spread to the rest of his body and made his toes curl.

It was a sound that the mermaid could get used to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep. Sex is awkward even when you know what you’re doing. And these fish babies are just that: helpless pups with no idea what the hell they’re doing but they’re in luuuvvv and that’s all that matters.
> 
> They’re not mated yet. There is plenty more of this fic to come. Nobody panic.
> 
> Feedback is welcome ^_^
> 
> P.S. Why is it that writing mermaids is easy and writing smut is easy, but writing MERMAID SMUT is so HARD?!


	12. Accept

While heavy, it was at least warm underneath Levi. The merman still hadn’t moved but, despite the discomfort of being pressed into the ground below, Eren didn’t find his position to be entirely uncomfortable.

In the very least, his instincts were quiet within him. In fact this might have been the calmest the mermaid had ever felt.

He knew that he was safe here, trapped in by Levi’s strength but in a pleasant way. There was no threat in this kind of capture and Eren felt no need to resist. The merman held him as he dozed, tired after his earlier efforts, and it gave the mermaid a chance to catch his breath at least.

Strange, how a completely miserable day could be turned on its head so suddenly. Eren had started the day cold, hungry, and distraught. Now he felt more at peace than he had ever felt before in his life. It was a strange feeling, somewhere between tiredness and contentment, and the mermaid basked in this strange, new sensation. He felt comforted by it, for it he could feel so at ease with a supposed threat dozing atop him then there was no way that Levi wasn’t the one for him.

Tanned fingers found inky hair, damp from sweat and water, and Eren toyed with the dark strands while Levi continued to breathe evenly against him. The mermaid’s breathing came shorter and shallower as it was tricky to breathe deeply with more than your own body weight resting on you. Eren did not complain, though. Instead he traced fingers along the lines of Levi’s back, following patterns of scale here and there, and the odd silvery ribbon of a scar or two. The mermaid wondered where his mate had earned such marks. At least there were no fresh wounds to be found. Levi hadn’t gotten hurt in his efforts to be the one to court him then, or if he had he was doing a damned good job of hiding them. Maybe he just healed fast.

Maybe he was just that good. To be lake champion, he’d have to be.

A sleepy Levi finally came back to his senses, purring low in his throat at the gentle hand still in his hair. For a moment the merman didn’t move, other than the slow curl of his tail inching closer to curve around Eren’s right side. The flukes brushed his arm before sliding back down into the water and when Eren glanced back to Levi he found grey eyes watching him. Levi roused enough to lift some of his weight off of the smaller mer and Eren took in a careful breath, coughing once as his lungs got used to breathing deeply again. The brunet blinked up at the merman’s face, taking in the sharp features. Most of the flush had gone from the raven’s body now but those silvery eyes swam with warmth. Levi looked happy.

Happy albeit concerned. Levi’s brows furrowed slightly and he gave a few careful clicks, sniffing at the mermaid to make sure he was okay. Checking first by Eren’s scent-secreting scales, then watching the little mer for signs of distress, Levi seemed satisfied that he hadn’t traumatised his mate too much. The merman rumbled low in his throat, comforting vibrations passing through his chest against the smaller mer in silent apology for his earlier actions.

Unnecessary, seeing as Eren had thoroughly enjoyed the result of Levi’s passion. Strange as it had been, the mermaid knew for a fact that he’d liked it. They both had, judging by the mess they had made of Eren’s belly. Tacky white stuck to Eren’s skin, to Levi’s as well where they had been pressed together while the merman had dozed, and the merman grimaced at the sight of it now. Rolled off of Eren to wash his own skin with a frown while the mermaid picked at the white that had pool in his navel.

Finished with himself, Levi turned back to Eren with a croon, an apologetic sound, and the brunet purred at him, hoping to reassure. The merman seemed to think that he was in trouble, that he had upset Eren in some way. The mermaid smiled and put his arms around his repentant mate, nuzzling the top of his head as Levi leaned over him, and feeling raven locks tickling against his cheek. To think that Levi would ever stop to make amends for acting on his instincts seemed absurd to Eren. The more Eren thought about it, the more natural it seemed. The mermaid had limited knowledge of how to proceed with their courting and he had naturally assumed that Levi would take the lead. It made sense and Eren did not expect the raven to be sorry for something he couldn’t control.

Tanned fingers threaded through Levi’s inky strands, stroking, gently comforting.

Levi started to lick at Eren’s skin, moving down to lap away the mess they had both made, and the mermaid found himself thinking not for the first time that the elder mermaids were greatly misinformed about their more dominant kin. Of course the elders would never be so stern about something that didn’t warrant concern, so Eren was inclined to believe that there were mermen out there that would sooner harm than court him.

Maybe Levi was an exception? Maybe he wasn’t. Maybe the elders really did know something Eren didn’t and he would live to regret ever meeting the raven.

He didn’t regret it yet.

Levi’s mouth closed over a patch of skin, sucking a little harder than before, and the mermaid whimpered under the assault. The merman laved at his skin with that dark tongue, pulling bruises to the surface. An odd feeling stirred in Eren’s chest, something of a connection, like a piece of string connecting him to Levi, tugged insistently, and the mermaid understood. He was being marked. Levi was marking him, leaving behind tender bruises of intent, and the thought made the smaller mer curl his toes in satisfaction.

Everyone would be able to see such marks and know what they meant. Glancing down his body, Eren caught sight of a few little ovals of colour already beginning to darken, and he gave a quiet mewl of appreciation. One over his side, two sucked into the soft skin of his belly, and even a few on his thighs. Levi was busy working on into his torso and Eren whimpered. Grey eyes flicked up at the sound, meeting surprised teal, and Levi made a rumbling noise in the back of his throat that Eren could feel through his entire abdomen. The marks Levi left behind tingled, little pockets of heat across the mermaid’s flesh, and Eren wrapped his legs around the middle of Levi’s back to hold the merman there while he worked.

Earth Mother, where did Levi learn to do such things? And why was Eren’s body so responsive all of a sudden, after years of just being there?

The mermaid was sure that he had learned more about his body in the past few days than he had in the past few years. First his mating colours coming through, then those colourful little scales getting so warm and achy, telling Eren that it was time to go out and find a mate. And now that he’d found one there were all new discoveries being made, like just how sensitive his mating colours could be given the right attention. Not to mention the sensitivity of…other areas.

And that was still embarrassing to think about.

Where had Levi learned about any of _that_? And would there be more of it?

The smaller mer almost felt guilty for hoping that the answer would be yes. Levi had made him feel good in ways that Eren hadn’t even been aware of previously and the brunet was eager to know more. He felt like there was more, although that was a strange assumption for his mind to make. Instincts were weird like that; Eren had known that he would leave his pod that one morning to find a mate, but he had had no idea what that mate would look like until he’d literally stumbled upon the lake and an eager Levi. Similarly, the brunet had known in his gut that Levi had no intention of hurting him when he had gone all strange earlier, but Eren would never have guessed what the raven’s actions had meant. And Eren knew on some primal level that he was responsible for Levi’s arousal, even if he had no idea what to do about it.

Those kinds of things would probably always be that way, Eren thought. That was okay. He wasn’t as lost anymore; he had paid good attention. Eren knew that when Levi responded to the changes in Eren’s body, he would start acting like he had today. And there was an obvious cure to that behaviour, which came in the form of touching his cock. Levi had liked contact, had thrust himself to completion with nothing but Eren’s thighs, so the mermaid knew that he could touch his mate there and it would yield positive results. That was if Levi didn’t pin him again.

The mermaid resigned himself to the fact that he would just need more practice to get used to such things.

Eren winced when Levi’s tongue made a thorough job of cleaning his cock, tensing at the overstimulation to what had not previously been a particularly sensitive area. Thankfully the merman seemed to sense his discomfort and quickly finished with the brief bath, returning to nuzzle the smaller mer.

He licked Eren’s nose, managing a quiet warble which the mermaid responded to with a happy trill.

In his heart, Eren felt content. Every moment spent with Levi felt right and that feeling grew stronger every day. The mermaid’s initial fear of courting had all but faded, only making itself present during the moments when Levi made a move that Eren wasn’t sure how to respond to. Like today. Eren had never experienced any sort of…he supposed it was intimacy…of that kind before. Even this, lying this close with Levi, was nothing like what the mermaid was used to from sleeping with his podmates. The most they did was cuddle in close and sleep in one big pile for warmth when the winter air brought its usual bitter chill. But Levi had a presence, something completely different than an unassuming mermaid. There was something about the way he looked at Eren, those piercing eyes of his, dark and bright at the same time – pools of smoke that had the smaller mer mesmerised. It was in the way Levi moved, fluid and graceful, like the water he lived in. Levi was as elegant as he was fierce and Eren wondered what it would be like to see this merman at his worst, when he was all teeth and ripping claws and nothing like the gentle creature that he was around his mate-to-be.

The mermaid felt like that would be a sight he would only ever want to witness from afar. Eren was perfectly content with being up close and personal with the affectionate, occasionally playful creature that Levi could be. He hoped that the raven would not change once they were proper mates.

Even in this state, where they were both aware of their courting progress and getting closer and closer to their official bonding, Eren felt content. He couldn’t imagine anything better, but there had to be something…more, or else his instincts wouldn’t be drawing him to gravitate towards the raven so strongly. Eren knew he could trust his gut instincts; they would never push him towards something that would be bad for him.

Levi made a strange sound at him then, a sort of amused warble, and Eren suddenly found himself being lifted, strong arms finding their way under his legs, and his weight being shifted onto his upper back and shoulders for the most part. The merman blinked down at him, a smirk on his lips and light in his eyes, and Eren squirmed when he realised Levi was play pinning him. Just a game. Just a test to see if Eren would push him away. Another test of their bond and Eren was surprised to find that he felt no instinct to escape the sudden intimacy. The brunet kicked his legs where they dangled over Levi’s elbows, yipping in half-hearted protest. He was folded up on himself and a little uncomfortable but not upset. Mostly the mermaid was bemused to find his mate playful at all.

But Levi didn’t let him go. The merman grinned at him, a smile like that of a predator that had cornered its prey, and Eren might have been worried at the thought of being prey if he hadn’t been so busy flushing. Levi was being awfully intimate with him today, even if this was only a bit of fun and nothing serious. Yet.

The smaller mer tried to free himself, shifting to no avail, and he whined for his freedom only to be silenced by his own squeak of surprise when Levi’s face got abruptly closer to his. The merman lost his grin in favour of something a little less alarming at close range, a fonder expression in Eren’s opinion, and he further flustered the brunet by flicking out his dark tongue across the mermaid’s mouth.

Eren squeaked, flushing pink while Levi chortled at him. The merman bumped their noses together, eyes warm, so close that they looked almost clear – black pupils like the black waters of the lake. The mermaid shivered under Levi’s gaze but he refused to look away, refused to so much as blink.

The merman blinked first, his lively eyes full of mischief.

Who was this creature? A monster? Certainly not. More like the pups Eren played with back at home pond. Levi was cheeky, baiting Eren with playful flicks of his tongue, biting gently at the brunet’s ears until the mermaid flicked him in the face with one.

The merman shook his head, dark hair falling into his eyes and obscuring that sharp gaze for a moment so that Eren couldn’t tell what the raven was thinking.

When Levi moved, the mermaid had no idea of his intentions. The raven leaned down close and Eren caught a brief flickering of glittering silver pools before the merman sprang into action. Just as quickly as he had pinned him, Levi surged backwards. His hands left the mermaid’s legs, grabbing at the small of Eren’s back for purchase as Levi rocked up and back, curling his tail beneath him. Eren let out a squeal as gravity shifted and he found himself in the air, held close to Levi’s chest, and with a dizzying swinging motion the merman let himself fall backwards, bringing Eren with him until he splashed into the water on his back. The mermaid was cradled close, mostly sheltered from the impact. Levi released his hold, snorting at the wide-eyed look on Eren’s face and watching the smaller mer get comfortable, straddling the merman’s chest.

If this was how Levi was going to become after their intimate moments, Eren would have to indulge more often. The raven lost all the worry in his eyes and he looked oddly youthful for it. For the first time Eren felt like Levi might be just as lost in this whole process as he was, after all the merman didn’t seem all that old. Older than Eren, obviously, but it wasn’t like Levi had passed more than a few decades and the mermaid would be into his second decade in just three years.

But looking into Levi’s lively gaze, seeing the breathless exhilaration on his face, made the younger mer feel like he and the merman weren’t all that different after all. Just two idiots getting lost in each other.

At any rate Eren felt like he was getting a better idea of what it was supposed to be like to have a mate. Levi was there to make him feel safe, cared for, protected. While the mermaid wasn’t sure how much he could protect Levi in return, Eren was sure that he could make the merman feel safe if he tried hard enough. He could make Levi feel cared for. It wouldn’t be difficult because Eren did care for his mate, more with every day, and he could only hope that Levi felt the same way.

With the way the dark-haired merman was looking at him, Eren didn’t have to worry too much.

Why the elders had tried to turn him away from this, Eren did not know. He felt so alive around Levi, excited and happy and just a little bit anxious. The merman was an adventure, an experience, and he kept the mermaid on his toes. There was never a dull moment and for a young mer who had always dreamed of exploring and seeking adventure, he couldn’t have hoped for a better match than Levi.

Maybe the merman would be able to take him to new places? Show him new things? Maybe-

Eren’s thoughts were abruptly interrupted by an embarrassingly loud protest from his stomach and the smaller mer ducked his head in a bashful display. Levi didn’t even try to hide his amusement, teasing the brunet with playful whistles and making the embarrassed mer flush.

In the end, Levi would only tease his mate so much. The raven scooped a sheepish Eren into his arms and deposited him into the water beside his tail, cupping the mermaid’s heated cheeks until Eren looked at him. There was fondness in Levi’s eyes as well as lingering amusement and the merman uttered a few reassuring clicks, promising to return with food soon.

After a brief but affectionate nuzzle, Levi turned for the opening of the trench, flaring his nostrils and scenting the air to make sure that the coast was clear before slithering into the murky depths.

Eren watched him go, running his fingers along the scales of Levi’s tail as it rolled under the surface, the flukes flicking up water before disappearing entirely.

Alone again, but the mermaid felt no lingering loneliness as he settled back on his haunches. Levi had made him a promise to return and Eren believed that his merman would be back.

Blue-green eyes stared out over the surface of the lake, watching the calm rippling of the water. Movement from below and wind from above stirred the surface to life, breaking up the reflection of the sky above. It was clearer out now and actual sunlight made it through the patchy cloud cover, the clouds fluffier and white now instead of the unfriendly grey of the earlier morning. Looking up, Eren could see sections of blue above, working in between fluffy white. It was a pretty sight, much nicer than the bitter cold and thick fog from the morning, and the mermaid watched beams of warm sun hit spots on the lake’s surface, catching bits of green and bouncing off plant life below. Instead of black, Eren saw rippling blues and greens, and little golden strips of light from the sun above. Beautiful. It made the lake look a lot less intimidating and Eren was put at ease by the bursts of colour that the reflections on the water provided, for the moment cancelling out the dominating blackness.

It was during times like this that Eren thought it might not be so bad to go into the water. He wasn’t the best swimmer, mostly used to paddling about in the shallower water of his home pond, and thoughts of tiring and sinking into the dark depths were frightening.

_Levi would save me._

Yes, he would. Eren had no doubt of that. If he were in trouble and drowning, Levi would come for him. He would get him to safety. There wasn’t much that the merman wouldn’t do for Eren and that was a comforting thought. Whether it was scaring off a threat, fighting a challenger, or coming to his rescue, Levi would be there.

That was a part of what being mates was all about, Eren realised abruptly. And even though it was a somewhat foolish thought, Eren realised that if ever Levi was in terrible trouble…he would try to help him too. Even if it meant going out into those waters, facing that fear and the threats of the lake; if he could help Levi, save him, then Eren would be there without a second thought.

And that scared him. To care for a creature so swiftly, to be willing to compromise his own safety to help another that he had known for less than a week, all of it seemed ridiculous. Nothing else could ever make such perfect sense though.

Levi was his. Would be his everything soon. And Eren would become Levi’s everything. Suddenly the thought of saving his own skin from peril became less of a concern; in case of trouble, Eren would always want Levi safe before himself, no matter how impractical that sounded.

A darting movement caught the mermaid’s attention and he yipped at a splash a little ways out. Moments later a head popped above the water and Eren was relieved to find that it was only Levi. The merman checked on his mate quickly, eyes narrowed, water dripping from his soaking hair, before he dove back down.

Eren found that he could follow the raven’s movements and he leaned forward in surprise. The sun broke through the water, allowing the brunet to catch a flash of pale, greyish flesh from time to time. Little flecks of silver flitted about and the smaller mer realised that his mate was hunting.

Teal eyes watched, widening more and more as they followed the shape of Levi under the water. It was clearer towards the surface and Eren’s eyes could make out the streamline shape of the merman as he rocketed through the water. Then, just when he had been heading one direction for a while, Levi would shift, changing the position of his fins just slightly, and Eren would watch him go darting off to one side, breaking to a full stop in seconds from a full charge, or even completing circles below the surface before continuing on.

Eren wondered what Levi’s face would look like. Would he be the same aloof creature he had been that first day? No, more likely Levi would be smiling. He was showing off, had to be, and Eren didn’t care either way. Levi was amazing…and he was all Eren’s.

Or at least…he would be. That thought was almost too much for Eren to bear and he blinked, wondering if the tears in his eyes were happy or overwhelmed.

Perhaps both?

This magnificent creature, this wild beast, was tame only to Eren.

Levi chased the fish towards the surface, hunting them from below and giving the mermaid a show at the same time. Eren could feel his heartbeat accelerating as his excitement grew watching the chase. His eyes, wide as saucers, took in every darting movement – from the silver of the fish to the blur that was Levi. Everything happened so rapidly, at times it was difficult to follow.

Eren had only ever chased smaller fish through shallow water, but this was a true hunt. Levi made a game of it, not even trying to catch the fish for some minutes as he herded his prey upwards. Some of the terrified fish skittered across the surface of the water trying to flee, unable to swim any further upwards, trying to jump for freedom only to tumble back into the lake seconds later.

The mermaid trilled high in excitement at the sight, watching as Levi raced past just a few metres out, splashing water at him with a single hand reaching above the water as he went.

Levi was being playful, even in the middle of his hunt, and all Eren could do was look at him, wide-eyed and breathless. That was his mate. That darting, racing merman was all his.

He was so fast; like the birds that soared in the sky above, Levi was just as fast beneath the water. Stirring the surface into rippled chaos, he raced after his prey. He moved in a blur of pale flesh and contrasting scales, sometimes diving deeper than Eren’s eyes could see.

And sometimes he would break the surface in great, graceful leaps, sending water everywhere. Hair wild, the sun catching his skin, painting pale flesh golden, leaving flecks of orange through sopping black locks. Arcing through the air, spine curved, arms reaching for the surface again, claws out and catching the light, ready to snatch up his prey. It was in those moments that Levi looked the most content. He was at home in the water, more so than he would ever be out of it, and it showed on his face and in the way he moved so effortlessly. Eren wondered what it would be like to be able to move that fast, to be able to race through the water and even fly through the air for however short a time. He resigned himself to never knowing, but it was more than enough to see how happy such things made Levi. In the same way the mermaid wondered if Levi ever wondered what it would be like to venture up on land, to walk the earth with legs instead of being condemned to water. They each had their limitations and graces, and it was better to be grateful than envious.

When Levi returned some minutes later, head breaking the surface of the water, with his hands and mouth full of whole fish and a blazing light in his eyes, Eren had to shake himself from his thoughts to avoid stepping right off the bank after the merman. He wanted to be with this creature, this beast of powerful muscle and eyes that spoke of so much experience that Eren sorely longed to share. He wanted to see what Levi had seen, wanted to share the sights and sounds and the rest of his years with him.

Levi’s movements were smooth, fluid, and he locked eyes with Eren like the mermaid was all he could see. Like Eren was all he ever wanted to see for as long as he lived, whether that was for one year more or several hundred more.

Crawling back into the trench, Levi settled on his side. The fish were set on a stone and Eren found himself staring at open arms, pale but strong and welcoming him to lie against the warmth of Levi’s body. He moved without thought, settling there and bedding his head against the merman’s chest, smelling lake water and the content sweetness of Levi’s scent. When the raven ran clawed fingers through Eren’s hair the mermaid let his eyes close.

This was what it meant to be mates. Eren was sure of it. Not a single doubt existed in his mind as he lay there, one ear pressed to Levi’s chest and hearing the beating of his heart, the rhythm quickened from his hunt. This warmth, this peace, this sense of oneness with a creature that could just as easily break him as hold him…this was what being mates meant. Not just trust, but comfort – the kind of natural comfort in one another that allowed trust to foster between them.

All that was required of Eren, all that he needed to do to be a good mate, was to keep this poor, lonely creature company.

It was a sombre moment of understanding, but one that the mermaid welcomed. He would be a good mate to Levi. Monster or not, he wouldn’t spend another night alone after their bonding.

Eren swallowed, kept his eyes closed, and decided.

One more night. One more night with his pod, with his friends. One night to tell them what he could, to tell them what he had decided and where he would be going. It wouldn’t be easy to say goodbye to everyone but Eren couldn’t just disappear. He wouldn’t be like Marco, he vowed it. Even if he had to go, his pod would at least know why he was leaving. They deserved that much after spending all those years raising him, caring for him, and Eren respected the elders too much to let them worry over him.

Just one more night…and he would let Levi take him away. Because they would be going somewhere; Eren knew it, could feel it in his bones. He wouldn’t be staying here and even though the mermaid had no idea where he would be going…at least he wouldn’t be going there alone.

 

They fed amidst Eren’s purring and the mermaid decided that Levi feeding him was one of his favourite things. Even just watching the merman pull bones from the fish, tossing them out to sink into the deeper water and presenting little pieces of food for the mermaid to eat made Eren feel warm inside. And Levi always offered the torn off pieces with his mouth, morsels balanced on his tongue or between his teeth for the smaller mer to take.

Eren didn’t want to leave, felt sad just thinking of making Levi sleep out here by himself, but the raven took it reasonably well when, after their brief nap, the mermaid made mentions of home. Levi even helped the brunet to scale the steep slope of the bank, lifting Eren up until he could dig his little claws into dirt and snatch onto a branch from the log above and pull himself up onto the grass.

After a long goodbye and a lot of doe-eyed looks from Levi, Eren finally padded off in the direction of home. It wasn’t that dark out and there was still plenty of sunlight about, but if this was going to be the last night that Eren spent with his pod then he wanted to make the most of it.

Soft calls rang through the forest as the mermaid drew closer to home and soon enough he could hear the excited yipping of some of the younger mers who recognised his calls.

Breaking through into the clearing, Eren was met by a frantic red mop of hair who tackled him into the shrubs, hugging the brunet fiercely. Amidst their giggling and soft purrs of comfort, Armin joined, as well as a little, dark-haired mer who followed Isabel around all the time. One of the pups, about 7 years old by now, and still small and timid.

Eren assumed by the smaller mer’s presence that the elders had forgiven him enough to let him back around the younger pups again. That was a relief because Eren would miss the little rascals fiercely once he left. Sitting up, the brunet yipped happily and nuzzled his friends, noting the odd looks in their eyes.

Ah. They had seen his marks then. Time to explain.

Armin’s big, blue eyes looked so sad and Eren winced. He knew that all the other mermaids would have an idea of what his marks meant, that he was spoken for and that his mate intended to claim him soon, but the younger mers only had so much understanding. Armin must have sensed that he would be losing his friend and when the blonde’s bottom lip started to tremble Eren crawled closer to hug him.

Issy was whimpering, hands clutching at his arms as she nuzzled his head, and even the younger pup seemed distressed. Eren let them all in close, knowing Levi would be suspicious at their scents tomorrow but for the moment not caring. There was a chance that Eren wouldn’t get to see his podmates again for a very long time and he worried. So this time, this last time, Eren let his pod smother him.

A low sound interrupted the impromptu snuggle pile and Eren winced as he was summoned by one of the elders. This was it then, time to explain. With a sigh he heaved himself up and crawled over, head down, and he plopped down onto folded knees by the edge of home pond.

The grass tickled his knees when he shifted, waiting.

The water stirred in front of him and a larger mermaid emerged, shaking off droplets and coming over to sniff at Eren. The brunet was prepared this time and obediently tilted his head to one side, letting his peer scent him. He knew he would smell of Levi and probably of their earlier intimacy too, but Eren refused to let his embarrassment get in the way of something so important. He wanted to show his pod that mermen weren’t something to be solely feared. If he could convince them well enough, then maybe the rest of the young mers here wouldn’t have to worry about facing exclusion when they finally matured and went searching for a partner. So Eren sat still and waited, letting his peer inspect him.

Something bumped his side and Eren squeaked, calming when he recognised another of the older mers had approached and was busy inspecting the darkening bruise on his side. A surprised yap left the older’s throat and the two elders sat back, exchanging bemused glances.

Then their gazes settled on him and the brunet knew it was time.

Eren took a deep breath to centre himself and prepared to explain. It was tricky, there were a lot of things that he had a hard time getting across, but he managed the basics of it. He had found his mate and they had been courting. Eren was planning to accept him and would be leaving. He told his podmates not to worry, that his mate would take care of him.

The brunet waited once he was done, chewing on his bottom lip in silence and gripping little tufts of grass in his hands.

He had done his best, put everything out into the open for both the elders and the other gathered mermaids to hear. Even in simple terms it was news unlike anything they had ever heard before and Eren prepared himself for the worst.

What if they sent him away again? For good this time?

Well then…in that case Levi would have him a day sooner. Eren steeled himself with that thought in mind, sitting with his head up and a brave face on as one of the elders approached him once again. They paused nearby, crouched in front of him, and snuffled quietly.

Then, just when Eren felt like he might tear up, the older mer huffed at him and leaned forward. The brunet blinked as his peer butted their head against his shoulder, a fond gesture, and suddenly Eren realised…

His pod believed him. He slumped in relief at receiving their blessing, sending a bashful smile to the mers around who yipped and yowled at him, a parting, a sorrow, but happier than they would have been had one of their own simply disappeared. When the elder returned to the pond the younger mers all rushed forwards and Eren trilled happily as he was swamped by eager mermaids.

He would have to make the most of this company. After tomorrow it would be just him and Levi.


	13. Farewell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't remember if I wrote something already about pups being born underwater? If so, that's a load of crap, author-chan was tired. Pups are NOT born underwater. That is all.  
> Sorry if there are errors DX

The afternoon wore on, the sky above turning orange and purple with the gradual shift of the sun as it slinked ever lower, plunging towards the horizon.

Sitting in the clearing around home pond, however, meant that there was still plenty of light to see by. Eren sat preening, perched on a mossy log and enjoying the cool tickle of the damp flora against his skin. The mermaid’s scales were flushed brighter than ever and his colours were aching again. It was frustrating but not as bad as before, so Eren bore with the discomfort. It was always better around Levi and the young mer would be able to see his mate again after tonight.

For now Eren enjoyed the company of his pod.

Around him life in the pod carried on as usual, the older mermaids lazing about in the shade and puddles, keeping an eye on the pups splashing about in the main pond. There were two litters present at the moment, some pups a few years old by now and some only a few weeks old, but they played together like they were blood, nurtured by the pod as a whole.

For the moment all of the pups were surviving off milk provided by the adults, those mermaids that were as yet unmated. Eren’s body hadn’t responded yet to the surplus of young and in place of milk he brought soft plants and little roots, sometimes bits of meat for the older pups. His instinct to care for these little tykes was strong but until his first heat, Eren would be unable to provide milk for them. So he made do, foraging and broadening the pups’ taste for other food with berries and scraps of meat from smaller kills such as fish and the occasional bird.

A soft nudge brought Eren’s gaze back to his left and the brunet smiled into a nuzzled greeting, blonde hair filling his vision and a familiar scent in his nose.

Armin. Right behind him was Issy who stretched up and butted her head against Eren’s shoulder with a grin, settling down onto her side on the grass in front of his log. Armin hopped up onto the end of the log and instantly settled down to take a nap, meanwhile Issy picked at the grass and little plants around her. Her claws dug into the soil, loosening the damp dirt and allowing her to pick at plant roots.

With the redhead busy munching on the flora and Armin already breathing steadily with his eyes closed at the end of the log, Eren settled back into his preening. He ran his fingers over the scales on his neck and gathered the oily secreted scent there, a result of being close to Levi. The mermaid pushed the residue of the merman’s scent leftover on his skin around to soothe the itch of his courting colours in the absence of his mate’s presence.

Eren hoped that this discomfort would cease once he and Levi were bonded. He wondered whether or not the merman went through similar discomfort without his mermaid nearby.

Maybe he would ask if he remembered.

Across the pond the elders were stirring, some of the younger adults heading out to forage while a few remained to watch over the pups.

Eren decided to stay put; he had eaten recently thanks to Levi and his time would be better spent keeping an eye on the older, more energetic pups that were busy tumbling about through the reeds and tall grass around home pond. The oldest pups belonged to the same litter, an all-mermaid group for once, while the newest litter consisted of two little mermen and a single mermaid pup. The mermaid, yet another runt, was in full time care under the watch of one of the adults. Eren blinked over at the adult in charge of him, currently dozing with the infant cradled against its belly, sheltered by an arm.

Around the pond edge, the older pups scrambled about, practicing jumping and trying to climb onto logs. One day their ability to climb might just save their lives and Eren was comforted to see the youngsters already learning even as they played. From time to time he or Armin and Issy would join their games, helping the little mers learn to use their claws to dig into the bark of trees to help them climb, or demonstrating how to stand upright on their legs in order to reach for things such as fruit or lower tree branches. Standing wasn’t something that the mermaids did often, mostly just to reach food or escape from passing predators. Thankfully the area around home pond was relatively peaceful; usually climbing was more for recreational use. Sometimes especially weary mermaids could use their climbing ability to escape from playful pups for a while, taking their rest while other adults dealt with the energetic little rascals.

Every mermaid needed a break once in a while, particularly with so many pups to be cared for.

Movement caught the brunet’s eye and he smiled over at one of his sleeping podmates, watching the little runt in their care squirm its way to freedom and tumble into the grass, somehow without waking its guardian. Eren chortled at the adventurous little thing as it started crawling around but he hopped up when the little pup started heading a little too close to the edge of the clearing.

The pup squeaked when he scooped it up, holding the youngster in one hand on his way back to his log, figuring that he would give his tired podmate a break from babysitting. Eren climbed back up, smiling at the tiny, giggling thing in his hold, and set it down atop his stomach. He leaned back against a branch sticking up out of the log and cooed at the little mer blinking up at him. It took a moment for the pup to adjust, blinking wide, pale green eyes and taking its new guardian before surprised features melted into a smile that could melt anyone’s heart. Even a big, scary merman would soften at such a sight, Eren thought.

Little hands slapped at Eren’s chest and the pup gave a happy squeal, reaching out with a tiny palm facing in the brunet’s direction. Hand up, Eren felt small fingers curl around one of his digits, holding on tight while the youngster managed a few clicking responses to Eren’s trilling.

The youngest pups were still learning to communicate, picking up the patterns of warbling, clicking and pitching whistles that made up mermaid dialogue. This pup was handled a lot by the adults, so he was doing remarkably well at communicating with his peers.

Chubby little fingers grabbed at Eren’s hair, pulling at the strands with little concern for the mermaid’s comfort, and Eren smiled through a wince. Pups were certainly a handful and it was no wonder that it took a whole pod to raise them.

It was always easier to care for a litter than it was to care for a single pup. Even if there were separate litters being raised at the same time, it was always better to have several pups around at once so that the young would have playmates their own age to grow up with and learn from. Pups in litters learned games and social cues from each other, not just their peers and podmates, and lone pups were often more dependent on their pod and less willing to wander when the time came.

These pups were adventurous little tykes. Even the runt (who was the pod’s favourite) was eager to explore. He was a real handful, always wanting to crawl just a little bit further away from the pond, always trying extra hard to make sure he could keep up and hold his own in games with his fellow pups, and he was barely five weeks old. This pup was one of the first in a long time that gave any real effort towards learning to swim and he often paddled about to play with the little mermen pups; his water-bound brothers. They had a good bond. Eren would be sad to see the little finned pups go.

Well…he supposed he wouldn’t be around to see them taken away in another week or so. By then they would be starting to play too roughly for their smaller, land-bound littermate.

Eren hoped the other mermaid pups wouldn’t be too hard on the younger pup. At least Armin and Issy would be around to watch out for him. They three were all very fond of the tiny pup.

Speaking of Issy, the redhead had grown tired of digging about for roots, her claws cleaned from the water of a nearby puddle, and she hopped up to approach Eren.

Isabel was a curious creature, had been all the years that Eren had known her, and she made no apologies of getting up and in his space to inspect the dark markings that littered his skin. The little pup didn’t seem to notice, too young to be aware of such things, and he pawed at Issy’s bright hair with one hand whenever she came into reach.

She would pause to smile up at the youngster every so often, clucking at him fondly and nuzzling. Displays of affection were an excellent way to keep up a strong bond between podmates and this was another thing that the pups learned from the other mermaids in the pod. It was a crucial thing, a way to make amends after a spat, a way to cheer up a moping mer, and, Eren realised, even a way into a mate’s heart one day.

How extraordinary. Eren was stunned by his own thought and he vowed silently to make sure that he showered Levi in affection to make up for all those years that the raven had spent alone.

An agitated snuffle came from Isabel and Eren peered down at her, giving a curious cluck.

The little redhead was busy inspecting his side, fingers tracing around the edges of a discoloration in the skin gingerly, careful in case the area was tender. Eren did not hiss at her nor try to shoo her away, so Isabel continued in her observations. She frowned at Eren’s bruises, peering in close at the marks and making a disgruntled noise, apparently puzzled. No, not puzzled. There was a sharp tang to her scent, not quite distressed but certainly not calm.

Isabel was concerned, Eren realised. He looked down at her, keeping an arm curled around the little pup nestling down against his chest to rest so that it wouldn’t slip and fall, and the brunet gave a whistle to get her attention.

Big, greenish eyes blinked up at Eren, full of questions, and the younger mer sat back on her haunches with a whine.

It made sense that Isabel would be wary; the little redhead had just turned sixteen this year and her mating colours were only just deciding to show. She was an early bloomer, her throat and shoulders already covered in pretty little swirls and patterns of glittering teal and brilliant green.

Armin was already sixteen, he would be seventeen this year and quite soon at that, but the blonde seemed remarkably calm about that. His colours had not yet begun to grow through and he seemed more curious than concerned by Eren’s markings. Well…he was probably concerned in his own way. Armin was a clever little thing, always one to warn others from leaving, always seeming to know when other pods would be passing by. His instincts were strong and they were almost always right.

Issy made a worrying noise, fretting quietly, and Eren put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her against his side and trying to comfort her with gentle vibrations in his throat. The younger mer’s hair tickled Eren’s skin, fluffy and completely untameable. Issy nuzzled him, frowning at the grass and worrying her bottom lip between her teeth.

Eren let go of a sigh, recognising the symptoms. Isabel was reaching maturity, a naturally worrying time.

Coming of age was a worrisome time for any mermaid, not just the singular mer going through it. Newly matured mermaids could be edgy for weeks as their scales grew through, prone to moodiness and restlessness. Extreme cases were enough to throw entire pods into disarray, but Eren hadn’t caused to much trouble during his time and he hoped that Issy would be too much for his pod to handle. She was a handful on her good days, energetic and a bit of a wild card. She was already displaying signs of restlessness, unable to sit still for too long and constantly rubbing at her new scales. It was usually that same restlessness that eventually drove matured mers away from their pod to follow their very first mating drives: the instinct to search for a mate.

He had already explained as much as he could from his experience with Levi, short of giving his podmates the raven’s name. That was his right to know and no others, lest they earn the right for themselves. All that Eren could do was continue on his own path and hope that Isabel and Armin and maybe even some of the other young mers had listened well to what he had told them.

A muted rumble sounded and Eren’s gaze flitted to a sheepish looking Armin as the blonde stirred, having been woken by his protesting stomach. Eren became abruptly aware of the time; the sinking sun signalling that it was time for evening meal.

Sometimes all of the mermaids would go out to collect food together, with sentries perched in the trees above to keep an eye out for threats. This seemed to be a more relaxed evening, however, and the elders waved off the young mers, signalling that they could venture out by themselves this time.

Armin was up in an instant, eager to get out and about. It wasn’t often that they got to explore unsupervised since the older mers were very protective of the younger pod members, but as Eren and the others grew older they were gradually allowed more leniency. Practically an adult in the eyes of his pod now, Eren knew that it would be his responsibility to keep an eye out for his younger podmates.

At the sudden commotion the little runt stirred with a whimper, sitting up to yawn, mouth forming a tiny ‘o’, before the pup blinked around to see what was going on. Wide eyes settled on Eren’s face and he cooed at the youngster, collecting the pup in his arms before climbing down from the log. There was no taking the pup with them; it would have to stay behind. Eren was sure the little one wouldn’t be much of a fan of anything but the milk it was used to anyway.

The pup settled into the crook of Eren’s arm so that the brunet could carry it with ease, and Eren used his three remaining free limbs to get over the some of the adult mermaids to hand over his charge. He cradled the little pup against his side until he found a mer that could take him, cooing goodbyes at the squirming thing before he trotted off to find his friends.

Armin sat waiting with Issy bounding around him, excited to be off, and once Eren had joined them the three scampered out of the clearing. Moving away from home pond, the trio headed for the river with a pack of younger mers on their tail. There was a spot where stones and logs were close enough that the mermaids could cross over and fish could be caught.

It was a safe enough location and the younger mers could learn to fish for themselves and even see other forest life that gathered around the river.

Birds sang out merry tunes, screeching occasionally to warn other birds that potential danger was passing below them. Mermaids, while not particularly vicious, were very fond of birds…as snacks. But for the moment the mers were more focused on getting to the river than hunting for birds.

Soon the sound of rushing water greeted Eren’s ears and he knew they were close when he could smell the fresh scent of water and mud. Similar to the scent of rain but not as pure. The river came into view and Eren led the way with an eager yip, hearing the happy trilling of the younger mermaids tumbling along behind him.

The brunet climbed out onto the rocks without a moment’s hesitation, uncaring of the loud water rumbling by. He paused in the middle of the river and settled, looking to the banks to find Armin and Issy following him out but the youngsters waiting anxiously by the river’s edge. They yowled in distress at being left behind, calling to their peers, and Issy went back for them. Her loud splashing was probably not very comforting but the redhead clicked reassurances at the little mers and held out an arm to them. The first trip to the river was always daunting but these little ones would learn the benefits before the day was over.

It was always worth it for the prize of fish.

After a moment the first mer stepped out. Eren was proud to see the anxious little mer stretch over to get to the first rock, helped along by Isabel. The first step was always the most frightening and once the pup saw that he was standing on a stone with the roar of the river all around had his face lighting up with excitement. He followed on towards Armin with careful steps and after that it was easy to coax the others out onto the rocks.

Catching fish wasn’t hard once you got the hang of the timing. There were plenty of the little, scaly things swimming past; all that one had to do to catch one was aim and snatch just before they got to you.

With the first pup coming to sit by his side, Eren leaned over the water and narrowed his eyes at the rushing surface. Fluid and rolling with through the rocks, it was loud and yet the rumbling noise was oddly soothing.

He spotted a pair of fish heading their way and waited, watching them approach with the rushing water. Eren knew that it was stupid to try and snatch up both fish at once and he had no desire to fall into the cold water with the sun going down. With the pup at his side observing him closely, Eren plunged a hand into the water, feeling its icy caress spread tingles up his arm, and a smile curved his mouth when his claws snagged on scale and dug in. Pulling his prize out into the cooling air, Eren whistled in triumph and held the struggling fish up for Armin and Issy to see. They clicked back in praise and Eren took in their own efforts.

Armin was still busy demonstrating the act of snatching for the fish to the two pups on his rock. Issy was perched on a half-sunken log beside them and she had two fish caught and beaten dead already. They would catch as many fish as they needed before heading back onto the banks to eat in peace, giving themselves time to dry off.

A few minutes later, with some practice, and the pup under Eren’s watch was busy focusing on approaching fish. It had almost managed to catch one several times now but kept grabbing with its hands instead of using claws, and consequently losing the fish thanks to their slippery scales.

Another fish drew near, darting through the water. The little pup snatched, snagging the fish by its tail after making his move too late, and when the fish made it away Eren’s ward huffed and sat back on the rock with a pout. Eren gave the youngster a reassuring nuzzle, letting the pup play with the two fish on their rock while the brunet snatched a few more from the water. It was never easy to succeed at fishing the first time and this little one had done well. He’d done better than Eren had his first time out. The brunet remembered falling face first into the cold water and flailing in a panic until one of the adults scooped him back up and dumped his ass on the banks where he was kept under the stern gaze of an elder.

This pup was doing far better than that already. Eren was proud.

Skills like hunting and foraging were important, crucial to a mermaid’s survival especially if they belonged to a smaller pod. Eren remembered when his peers had taught him what they knew, learning him in the ways of surviving in the forest and marshes, and the brunet had come to his time to teach those younger and less experienced than himself.

It was a strange moment to be caught in.

With their catch tossed towards the bank to free up hands for climbing, the mermaids made their way back to the shore. The fish were a hit with the pups, no surprise there, and the mers ate in relative silence with the quiet pierced only by birdsong and the eager munching of hungry mermaids.

Eren kept watch, acting as sentry while the others ate, and his eyes drifted upwards to seek out birds in the branches. He wasn’t particularly hungry, only eating a single fish from a catch of four, but the temptation of a brief hunt was too good to resist. There was still light in the orange sky, still plenty of prey around, and the brunet crept through to a little grove of trees where he could see a flock of birds covering one of the bushy branches of a tree.

Clicking softly for Armin’s attention, the mermaid waited until the blonde appeared by his side, shortly followed by Isabel. The pups were too busy with their meal to bother being curious about the activities of their peers, little teeth working flesh from bone.

Isabel crept around to crouch beneath one of the trees, pretending to dig for roots for a few moments until the birds settled down. The brunet padded up then, careful to move casually enough not to make the flying creatures suspicious of him, but not moving too slow as to be suspected of planning an ambush.

Back a little ways sat Armin, waiting until his podmates were in ideal positions to strike from below. There were some low branches, although no birds foolish enough to sit there, but that was of no consequence. The mers had a different plan to get their prize, one that would require no climbing at all.

Eren rocked back into a crouch, muscles coiling, readying himself for action, and he waited, eyes turned to the trees above. Pupils narrowed, seeking out the slightest movements. Ready, poised to strike.

Not yet. Armin waited for Eren’s nod, the signal that he and Isabel were ready, and then the blonde mermaid clapped one hand against his cupped palm and the loud sound echoed through the surrounding forest. The silence broke, the sharp noise echoing.

Suddenly the forest broke into action. A series of shrieks rang out as the nearby birds panicked at the sudden noise and took off into the skies, flapping around in a flurry for a moment.

In the ensuing feathered chaos, Eren was the first to leap, stretching out and reaching for the sky with Isabel following a split second later. Climbing had never been the goal. Instead they leapt at the scattering birds. Hands grabbing for their prize, Eren let out a victory yap when his fingers closed around one of the feathered creatures and he landed with a thud, tossing the bird after snapping its neck and dropping back into a crouch. He leapt again.

A cheering Isabel landed next to him, flopping onto her side clumsily but maintaining the hold on her bird. She grinned over at Eren around a mouthful of now-dead fowl, holding out her other prize; a cuckoo chick, still too young to fly properly but clearly stupid enough to panic and jump out of its nest during the mayhem of other flying birds.

Eren’s second catch was an older bird, easy prey now that it was past its prime, and the brunet ended its panic with a single snap of delicate bone.

The chaotic scene was over in seconds. Eren shook himself off, collecting his catch and trotting over to where Armin was sitting and waiting for them. The little blonde wasn’t as agile, not quite as apt with his aim or his leap, but he always helped to distract and confuse the birds while Issy and Eren caught their snacks. In turn the pair always made sure to bring their friend and podmate a share of the meal.

After all, they had each earned the treat from working together.

The bird in Isabel’s mouth was dead already and she dropped this in front of a crouching Armin, grinning at the blonde as she sat up to deal with the shrieking chick. Quite large for what was technically still a baby bird, Issy had earned herself a hearty snack.

Eren was busy munching on his own treat, offering little pieces of flesh to the pups that had finally come over to see what all the commotion was about. Their curious, questioning squeaks and yaps earned them the attention of the older mers and Eren beckoned the pups over with a reassuring warble. Small figures crowded in, scenting the air and staring with wide eyes, all eager to see a bird up close. Yet another new experience for these youngsters; they had all eaten bits of bird before when their older podmates came back from hunting but this was the first time that any of these pups had witnessed a hunt or seen where their food came from. They were doubly eager to try the little pieces of shredded flesh that was handed down to them and Eren was happy to sacrifice the limited amount of meat on his catch to make the pups happy, gnawing every last scrap from the bones until that was all that was left.

Birds were tasty but there really wasn’t all that much on them. Hence why they were more often eaten as snacks instead of a main meal, although in this case they were more of a dessert after the fish.

Eren watched his friends eat, keeping an eye on the younger mers as they tore into their food. The birds were gone all too quickly but thankfully the pups at least were full, happy and sluggish and ready for sleep.

Clucking gently and herding the youngsters along, Eren headed back for the riverside to see what was left of their earlier catch.

He paused, however, when a distant sound caught his attention. Eren froze, ears pricking up, body rigid as he listened intently. Beside him Armin and Isabel had adopted similar poses and the pups huddled in close to their peers, wary of their podmates’ sudden strange behaviour and fearing danger.

The sound came again, a little closer, and this time Eren recognised it easily. Another few noises came, these instantly identifiable as the elders calling all mermaids back to home pond, and Eren chittered a few quick orders to Armin to bring what was left of their fish. The blonde, while older than Issy, was nowhere near as intimidating, and if they ran into trouble it would be better to have a snarling spitfire on the front lines. Armin obeyed, hurrying along at the rear and making sure the pups kept up with their hurried pace while Eren and Isabel led the way. The smallest of the pups was encouraged along by Eren and eventually they made it back to home pond.

There was not much time to relax, however.

The pod was on alert, all members up and moving. Growing ever closer were the sounds of a distressed mer, its calls for help echoing through the forest. Louder still were the answering calls from the pod, the elders responding to the newcomer and guiding them with their voices.

At the sight of Eren and the others, several adults hurried in to usher them towards the pond, taking the pups over to hide in little, shallow pits which were used mostly for sleeping. All of the pups were huddled there, aside from the pair of mermen in the pond. Eren quickly entered the water to calm them, letting one teethe using the end of one of his clawed fingers. Their teeth were still coming through and, for the moment at least, the pup’s insistent gnawing did not hurt. Eren knew the little merman did not want to hurt him, it was just seeking comfort from both the distress of the situation and the soreness in its gums. He let the pup have its way for now, purring to soothe their fear. The other pup hid itself in between one of Eren’s arms and his side, hiding its face, and the brunet suddenly worried about the effects that the pod’s abandonment would have on these little creatures in just a week or so.

He didn’t have time to worry for long. Just a few moments later and there was a rustling in the undergrowth at the other end of the clearing and Eren’s ears flattened against his skull for a moment before flicking forwards again. The shrubs parted and a decidedly frazzled mermaid staggered into the clearing on all fours, limbs shaking like it wanted to collapse.

Eren’s gaze was immediately drawn to the newcomer’s stomach, swollen and full of pups ready to be welcomed into the world. The brunet still bared his teeth at the other mer, defensive of the little pups still nestled against him, but he refrained from hissing. This was not an enemy, it was a creature in need. The elders were already moving, greeting the new mermaid and helping it towards the pond.

She, not it, Eren realised, and he almost started when Isabel came over to join him in the water. They had both witnessed pups being whelped before but it was not something that one got used to. The cries were the worst part but it was always tough seeing a fellow mer in pain.

Looking on, Issy and Eren observed, Armin close behind them, as the mermaid barely made it to the edge of the water before her arms gave out. She coughed up water swallowed during the slip and made it just a little farther with help from one of the adult mers until she could reach one of the logs. Here she grabbed hold, front half draped over the damp, mossy wood lying half in and half out of the water.

As a necessity, pups were not born underwater. All pups could breathe air from the moment they were born, so it was safer to introduce them to air rather than a lung full of water regardless of whether an entire litter consisted of mermen or not. The dominant pups learned to breathe with their lungs before they were put into the water, allowing them to learn at the earliest possible stage that they could leave said water without having to fear for their lives being in immediate danger.

Mostly it was because a mermaid pup would be highly distressed if, upon being whelped, it was not able to breathe. So the birthing part was done on land.

The pregnant mer slumped over the log, her legs useless for the moment, and Eren had to wonder just how far she’d had to travel to find them. His answer came only moments later as the first pup appeared; its tiny cries following an agonised mewl from its mother.

To start the actual birthing process so soon after arriving could only mean that this poor mer had had to travel quite a way indeed to find a safe place to have her pups. Eren’s previous aggression faded, replaced with more welcoming feelings for the struggling mer. Her scent was thick with distress and Eren’s heart bled for the strange mermaid. He looked on in silence, watching the other adults gather around the newcomer to purr encouragements and soothe her with their scent. She panted for breath, face twisted with pain, but the mermaid’s wide eyes were full of thanks. Despite her distress, it was clear that she was grateful that they had provided sanctuary for her.

Eren could only imagine how frightened she must have been, travelling so far and watching the sky grow darker and darker while her pain grew stronger. His purrs of comfort intensified despite the fact that she probably wouldn’t be able to hear them over the sounds of his other podmates. It soothed the little pups at his side, if nothing else. Close by, Isabel and Armin soon responded with their own purring.

It was rough going for the newcomer. She did well not to pass out and after only a half hour of agony there were four new pups being cradled by several different mers while the exhausted mother took a break.

Watching her look upon her offspring for the first time was a small miracle to behold. Her eyes lit up and she looked simultaneously focused and blind all at once. An equal batch this time, with two mermaids and two merman squeaking in tiny voices for their mother. She held them all in turn, cooing and nuzzling and learning their scent. All that pain worth it to meet her little ones. And as the dazed mermaid looked around Eren could see her happiness; she knew that her pups would be safe. They would have a good home here.

Eren wondered when she would leave. Realised abruptly that she was going to leave, just like all mothers did, and that she would probably be returning to…to a mate.

As Eren would be returning to his mate-to-be tomorrow.

The brunet inhaled in surprise. Would Levi want a family once they were mated? Would Levi give him pups and a swollen belly?

Would Eren return to this very place to birth his own litter? Only to leave them?

A hundred questions flooded the brunet’s mind, none of which he seemed to have the answers to, but before he could lose himself to distress a squeak sounded and he looked down.

The little mermen in his care had their heads above water at last, halfway up his lap to get a better view across the pond, and their eyes had never seemed so focused as the new mermen pups were lowered into the water for the first time.

Eren watched the little pups in his lap race off, curious to investigate the newcomers, and the brunet took this as his cue to head around the pond with Armin and Issy to meet the mother and her new pups at last.

It was strange this time around. Eren had gone through this situation before…but never had he considered that he would ever be in the same role one day. It seemed daunting, even when Eren thought about having his podmates there to comfort him through the process. Still, he behaved and whistled a greeting at the mother mermaid once he was seated by her, bending down to scent her and allowing the stranger to learn his scent in return. He watched Isabel do the same, followed by Armin.

The pups were easier to greet, blinking at him when he cooed and touching his face with tiny hands and even tinier claws. In the water the older pups greeted their smaller kin, swimming around their new playmates. The new pups were only a little dazed, learning to use their tails surprisingly quickly. They stayed close to the water’s edge though, wary of moving too far away from their mother.

They would grow out of that habit very quickly, Eren was sure of it. By the end of the night these two would be racing around the pond with their new brothers.

And by tomorrow this pod would be down a member…but that was okay. They had four new little lives to make up for that.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally got to write about the pod interactions! Gah! About time.  
> Next chapter Eren goes to meet Levi ^_^ and...some other things happen. Mwahaha I left clues, who knows what's going to happen?  
> P.S. I will try to have one chapter up for this every 2 weeks (cos UNI is going to be BUSY DX) but I have some time to write since I did something dumb to my back so I am currently bedridden with not much else to do. But yeah, next update might not come for another week and a half, but it WILL be there.  
> Love you guys <3 thanks for reading ^_^


	14. Followed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As yet un-beta'd; I'll edit later if the need arises.

Sleep came to Eren in bursts. The night air was cool, especially with so much water nearby, but the mermaid hardly minded as his skin grew warmer from within. He tossed. He turned. He stretched out and curled himself into as tight a ball as possible.

Nothing seemed to be working. For some reason the little mer could not seem to get comfortable no matter how many times he shifted his position. Eren dozed more than he slept, waking often to an intense warmth in his body and irritated scales. The little patches and patterns of colour tingled and it was the strangest feeling that the young mer had ever felt. The scales itched, but it was an achy kind of itch that Eren hadn’t felt since they’d grown through in the first place. To combat this, the brunet moved into the pond, managing to get a few solid hours of sleep with his lower body submerged. With the cooler temperature of the pond helping to keep the strange heat waves at bay, Eren was even able to dream a little.

His mind was filled with smoky eyes and pointed teeth set against his skin.

Levi? That dark gaze seemed feral, nothing like the merman that Eren had come to know. His Levi was gentle. At least where Eren was concerned, that was. And yet still the mermaid’s dreams presented him without his own body, flushed and sore and littered with marks of claim of a more violent nature than any that Eren had experienced thus far.

It was strange to say the least, not to mention worrying.

Eren woke to find himself further submerged in home pond, just his shoulders, neck, and head above water. Unsurprising; his body must have been trying to cool down to afford him a longer sleep. But the presence of new spots of warmth puzzled Eren for a moment and he looked down.

The mermaid then noticed four little bodies curled up against him and Eren smiled at the little mob of mermen pups trying to steal his warmth. What was a nuisance for the maturing mermaid was just another benefit of living in a pod for the little rascals. Eren sighed and accepted that at least his overheated body was good for something; these little pups would need all the care they could get before they were on their own. After they stopped teething and started biting, actually biting, it would be time for them to leave. Eren wondered what would become of these four once they were taken…wherever it was that the elders travelled to deposit the dominant pups.

He just hoped that they would stick together just as they were doing now. Maybe then they would be okay out there by themselves. It had to work to some degree at least, Eren thought, or there would be no adult mermen around at all. But a life of solitude taught mermen to be strong, it taught them to be ruthless against anything that threatened their survival…until they found their mate to teach them how to be soft, gentle, and they could use the years of fighting for survival to care for their partner.

Levi was scary, he was w wild and fierce thing, but his strength made Eren feel safe. Nothing would harm him if he was with Levi. His mate wouldn’t let something like that happen to him.

That was why Eren did not fear the thought of going away with Levi at last.

The young mer looked around, noting that the sun wasn’t up yet and the forest remained dark. It was quiet and still, with only the occasional chirp of birds filtering through the early morning hush, and from the gradual lightening of the sky Eren guessed that it was nearly dawn. Quite early indeed. The brunet didn’t want to set out too early, especially after bothering Levi so much the previous day. Although Eren suspected that Levi hadn’t minded taking care of him, the mermaid did not wish to become a burden. He could wait a little longer, so Eren stayed with the sleeping pups and let them nestle against him.

If anything, the company was nice. It was a good opportunity to bask in his last remaining moments of pod life. After today Eren would not be seeing his podmates every day. He would not be on guardian duty, left to watch over the pups and teach them what he knew. At least they would still have Armin and Issy, and the other mermaids approaching maturity. The pups here would be well protected and well loved. They would still be taken out hunting and taught to use their claws to upset the soil and search for insects and edible plants. Eren’s absence would not bring the pod to a grinding halt, just like Marco’s disappearance had not disturbed pod life.

In the quiet of the pond, Eren thought about what he was going to do when he saw Levi. This would be no ordinary meeting, considering that Eren had every intention of going with Levi to…wherever it was that the merman went off to after Eren left. Knowing that this time it would be different, Eren fretted about how to properly greet the raven.

He narrowed it down to what was needed. First of all, the cursory greeting. A clicked hello would do. Then Eren wanted to rid himself of the aching in his skin by letting Levi mark him up with his scent. It wouldn’t be all that difficult to get the hint across; a simple turn of the head to expose his throat would do the trick and Levi would know what to do from there.

Then, after Levi had him smothered with his scent, Eren would tell him. He didn’t know what to say yet but the mermaid had a feeling that, when the time finally came, he would know what to do.

Slowly but surely the sun rose and spread its glowing beams over the forest. Eren waited once the sun was up, not moving until some of the other mers were slowly growing closer to consciousness. The brunet had not wanted to leave and wake the little mermen pups, knowing that it would be very distressing for the newest ones to have their source of warmth gone.

Realising with a start that the newborns had spent most of the night with him, Eren pushed up a little to look for their mother.

Gone already. There was no sign of the chestnut hair or kind eyes of the newcomer who had joined their pod only yesterday. She had already moved along, abandoning her litter without so much as a farewell. Something sharp tweaked in the brunet’s chest and he looked down at the tiny, tailed bodies of the pups curled against him. His heart bled for the newest youngsters; they would be in for a distressing day.

Eren wished that he could stay with them and provide comfort for the little creatures but there was another creature out there who would be equally alone if Eren didn’t go to him. Knowing that he had to go hurt Eren inside in ways that the brunet had not expected, but he figured it was time to leave.

It was a sad thing leaving everything that he had ever known behind, not knowing if or when he would get to see these mers again, but Eren had made up his mind. Levi needed the company more than these mermaids did and Eren wouldn’t let his merman remain lonely. Not after years of solitude. His pod had given him their blessing, had all farewelled him the previous day with each of his podmates coming up at some point or other to give the brunet a parting nuzzle before they’d turned in for the night. There was no need for the others to wake up and see him off, and a part of Eren was grateful of this. In a way, it would have been harder to walk away from a whole family of mers that he had loved and lived with for his whole life. Far easier to slink away at the first touch of sunlight through the canopy.

And that’s exactly what Eren did. After he farewelled the little mermen who stirred at his rising, sending them on their way to play in the pond, the brunet padded on out of the clearing and along the now-familiar path to the lake.

On the way Eren relished the smell of ferns and moss that rose up in the air as he passed by. It was still slightly chilly but the mermaid was confident that the rare cloudless sky would mean warmer weather as the day wore on. The forest was oddly cheery as Eren headed for the lake, eyeing the green surrounds already filling with sounds of life, occasionally lit gold by rays of sun. Somewhere inside the mermaid there was a sense of freedom, rising even as he marched off to seal his fate. To become Levi’s, and to take Levi as his own.

The thought seemed so daunting all of a sudden. Here he was heading off to a whole new life and yet the forest carried on as usual. The sun still rose in the sky, shining down on Eren like it did every day, like it didn’t even notice what went on below.

That in itself was an odd comfort. Just like Eren’s pod would carry on now that he was moving on to a new life, so did the forest, the sky, the earth beneath him. Although Eren was leaving something behind, there was no ending in sight for him. This was not an end or a finality, but a new start, another series of adventures to be had. Just as Eren had learned from his pod how to live and coexist with them, he would learn the same from Levi. Eren held no illusions that life would not be different for him now. He would have to adapt to however his mate lived, but if he was completely honest the thought of that excited him.

Would Levi teach him to hunt water-bound prey more efficiently? Would Eren be taught how to swim properly? Eren hoped so, although he knew that he would never be as skilled or graceful in the water as his merman.

Around Eren the air warmed and with it came the return of the warmth that had plagued him through the night. Similar to the fevers that the brunet had seen some of his kin fall prey to. How troublesome. He huffed, paused to roll in the moss in the hopes that it would soothe his skin, and carried on when that didn’t work. Hopefully Levi would be able to make this discomfort leave him. And with that in mind the brunet hurried on, determined to get to Levi. He still hadn’t figured out how to let the raven know that he would be staying with him. Thus far Eren assumed that he should communicate it outright, but how? Should he even tell the merman? Or just…not go back to home pond? Stay after dark and let Levi figure it out for himself?

Eren wondered how Levi would react to the discovery. The dark-haired mer had been reluctant to let Eren leave to return to his pod each time so far. What would he do if Eren simply stayed? At what point would the merman catch on and realise that it was getting too late for an unmated mermaid to be out and about without their pod?

Something cracked behind him and Eren yelped, spinning on the spot. His eyes were wide from the fright but his pupils slitted in focus as he scanned the way he had come. It had probably just been one of the other forest creatures, but the momentary alarm reminded Eren not to get too lost in his thoughts. He needed to keep his wits about him in case of lurking threats.

He narrowed his eyes further, searching for whatever had moved and startled him. The forest seemed innocently still, filled with sounds of life and yet displaying none of the usual signs. Finally a bird flew off and disturbed the stillness, squawking as it went, and Eren breathed a sigh of relief. He only spared a moment longer to stare suspiciously at the trees before continuing onwards. Turning, Eren frowned at the path before him. Ignoring the odd feeling in his gut, he carried on. The lake wasn’t far and nothing unsavoury would follow him there.

As expected, the glittering surface of the lake soon came into view. The air warmed without the shade of the trees once the mermaid passed into the clearing that lined the lake and Eren lit up at the sight of the now familiar water. He quickened his pace, bounding forward and letting out a few, loud yaps as he approached.

The sound of his voice echoed in the open space, startling a few birds in the distance. They fluttered up noisily before seeking new perches a little further away.

With his presence declared there was nothing much to do but wait for Levi to show up, so the brunet searched for a comfortable place to sit. The ground was quite flat there and covered in grass. Only a few fallen trees interrupted the stretching grass off to one side. Eren chose a place between the bank and the trees, safe enough from a threat in either direction. He settled on his side in the grass and stared out over the vast expanse of water before him, preening self-consciously at the thought of seeing his mate again. He pulled bits of grass out of his hair, pushing fingers through the fluffy locks to make sure there were no twigs caught there.

Another bark left his throat, a call to his merman.

When Levi did not appear immediately Eren felt no worry; considering that he had spent a long time with the merman yesterday it made sense that the raven might oversleep. He had spent a good while chasing fish on Eren’s behalf, so there was no point in fretting. Levi would come eventually.

The brunet picked at the ground while he waited, stretching out to enjoy the warm sun on his skin and tossing the occasional stick or twig in the direction of the lake to watch the little pieces of wood float about on the sparkling surface. Insects landed on the little sticks and bits of bark he threw, flitting about on the tiny floating islands.

With the warm caress of the sun above, Eren felt his lids grow sluggish. He wanted to sleep, still weary after the restless passing of the night. Around him nature’s symphony played; birdsong and the lapping of water against the shore mingling with the singing of insects and distant sounds of life within the forest. Eren knew he could not allow himself to sleep here. The lake was familiar to him, yes, but it still held danger. Directing his eyes upwards, Eren watched the blotchy white and greyish-purple of clouds passing by overhead. Some raced by, wispy and light in their rushing urgency. Others dragged along the sky, slow as the old tortoise – unhurried in its pace. A half-ring of leafy green bordered Eren’s view, branches reaching out into the vast blue above. The occasional bird zoomed by, twittering loudly and growing ever fainter the further it flew.

The sound of a twig snapping was loud even despite the little noises occurring all over and the mermaid was on his feet in an instant, scrambling to face the forest. Wide eyes fixed on a rustling shrub seconds before a flash of colour burst forth.

Eren nearly let out a squeak of fright but it turned to a sound of reprimand instead when he recognised the figure who came tumbling out of the forest. Red hair full of leaves and dirt marking pale skin; this creature was clearly not used to travelling this way. Of course she wasn’t, but Eren supposed she would have ventured out on her own sooner or later.

Isabel sputtered, spitting out leaves and running fingers through her hair to comb out twigs. She shook her head to clear it before glancing up, spotting the other mer and sending Eren a sheepish smile.

Ever the picture of innocence even right in the middle of being caught misbehaving.

Eren couldn’t help but wonder why she was there. She had followed him obviously, but to what end? To say goodbye? To learn where it was he went and why he left the pod?

This could prove very troublesome indeed. Eren worried his bottom lip between his teeth for a moment, concerned about how Isabel would be received by the occupants of the lake. Namely Levi.

He blinked at her, eyeing the path behind the younger mer, and sighed. Eren should have known that Isabel would get curious with her mating drives starting to kick in. The call to roam was only natural after all and every mermaid would wander off eventually. Some returned right away. Some never left again. And some never returned. Yet there was no helping the urge to go, to leave and search for something unknown.

Unknown until it was found, usually in the form of clawed hands, thick tails and sharp teeth.

Eren let go of another sigh, a resigned sound. He just hadn’t thought that Isabel would come out here so soon. How unfortunate. But there was nothing to be done about it and Eren refused to shun his kin, so he padded over to the redhead, bumping his head against hers in greeting.

Eren’s own first experience of wandering away from his pod had not been well received and the brunet did not wish to make Isabel suffer through the same rejection. He welcomed her happy nuzzling, chiding only through a few, soft clicks. And then there was only one course of action that made any sense; Eren would show his podmate around the lake.

They did not travel far, sticking close to the path that would lead Issy back to home pond and safety when she eventually decided to head back. Eren kept an eye on the enthusiastic redhead as she scrambled over logs trying to get higher to see out over the lake. Her eyes, big and green and as bright as Eren’s own, glittered with the reflection of the vast expanse of water before them. It was a wonder unlike any that she had ever known, enormous compared to the humble ponds that their pod called home, and the very air smelled of adventure.

Eren well recalled his own excitement upon first discovering the lake. To the brunet that time felt like weeks ago. Had it really only been days? Surely too much had happened for the course of only a few days? But no, there had not been weeks of courting. Eren had met Levi one day and known him the next. It was a rapid development but somehow Eren did not feel like this process was abnormal in any way. He knew all that he needed to know about Levi. The merman could be vicious but he never was with Eren. He could break him in half, shred him with terrible claws, but instead he chose to hold and caress and care for.

That was where Eren was concerned at least. But…what would Levi think of the new arrival? The raven had been docile around Eren but they were courting, intending to be mates. How would Levi respond to another mermaid? Eren winced, hoping that he wouldn’t see Isabel as a threat or an intruder to their courting. She was just curious, awakening to new instincts to wander and learn outside of the little, sheltered world in which she had been raised. Out here there were real dangers and only she and Eren to defend themselves should any threats make themselves known.

And speaking of threats.

Teal eyes slid over, side-eyeing the lake while Issy trilled excitedly from atop a log that she was peering into the end of. Out across the water a good distance from the shore…the surface had rippled. Slow rings spread across the surface, sluggishly expanding. Eren hadn’t caught sight of what had disturbed the surface, only spotting the aftermath. There had been no sound at all, so this was no fish or bird diving for insects.

Relax, Eren told himself. It’s probably just Levi. The raven would have every reason to be wary at the sight of Eren with another mermaid. Perhaps Levi was just waiting for Isabel to leave?

That’s not what prompted Eren to call for Issy with a toneless click, eyes focused on the suspiciously still surface. The redhead extracted her head from inside the end of the log that she had been inspecting, giving the brunet a strange look. He clicked again, the same quiet sound, and Isabel scuttled down from her log and over to him without hesitation.

Issy’s nostrils flared, scenting the air for signs that they were in any sort of danger. Eren had beat her to the punch on that one, having come up with nothing unusual in the air. Of course this threat (if it was one) would be coming from below. The two mermaids waited, keeping plenty of distance between themselves and the lake’s edge.

Curious, Eren opened his mouth and yapped at the water, a call to whatever was hiding. If Levi was down there, Eren hoped he would show himself at the sound of his mate’s plea.

There. Still a good distance from the shore there was an unmistakable movement in the water. Isabel saw it too, letting out a surprised sound.

A few, slow seconds passed. The movement came again, closer this time.

Eren narrowed his eyes, watching the slow roll of scales as a tail broke the surface of the water.

A merman. Eren was sure of it.

But not his merman.

Deep blue flecked with gold here and there, the colours gleamed under the sun like pond water under the strong rays of sunset. Eren bared his teeth in a soft hiss, hearing Issy making her own sounds of unease beside him. She had every reason to be wary, having never seen a merman before. Eren was less concerned by the appearance of the new mer and more focused on giving them a wide berth. If they’d wanted trouble, then Eren was sure neither he nor Isabel would have ever seen this merman coming. He’d let them notice him. That was a purposeful act. Eren could only assume, then, that this eerie approach was meant to be somewhat of a friendly display.

Another ripple spread over the surface, another flash of scale showed. This stranger’s scales held much bolder colours than Levi’s simple blue-grey, although there was significantly more blue to the hue of Levi’s scales than there had been the first day. Eren would recognise Levi’s colours anywhere, and this was not his raven-haired mate.

The brunet took a hesitant step back, settling low on his belly in the short grass. Curious, Isabel scented the air, but she ducked down next to Eren all the same. He gave a quiet cluck of approval, never taking his eyes off the water. There was someone down there and until Eren knew whether it was safe or not they would be staying put, far from the edge.

Issy sniffed, clicking and lifting her head to try and see what was going on. The water rippled as bubbles rose to the surface and Eren coaxed Isabel’s head back down, eyes fixed on the lake.

A few seconds passed, seeming to go by slower than normal, and Eren frowned when a shape began to come into view. The sun gave the water a clearer quality and both mermaids saw the sandy head of hair before it broke the surface. Pale skin glistened wetly in the light, the flesh not as pale as Levi’s, and the strange merman blinked eyes of pallid blue. He shook water from sandy hair that was kept messily short, the locks pale blonde. A lighter shade than Armin’s hair.

Blinking one set of lids, then the other, the merman snorted to clear his nose of water and flicked his gills open for a moment. Apparently he liked what he found in the air taken in, for the merman rocked forward in the water suddenly. It was not a particularly rapid motion, carefully casual, a planned move. He leaned over the bank, coming to lean on his elbows against the shore, and with a last flick of a blue and gold tail the merman seemed to settle.

His eyes fixed on the pair of young mers and a sharp-toothed smile was sent their way.

Issy squeaked, darting behind Eren who sat up at the sight.

The blonde’s grin melted away into an easy smirk and he shook water out of his hair, pushing the sandy locks out of his face with a hand. The next smile he sent their way was downright charming but both mermaids sat back with matching expressions of suspicion. Issy sniffed at the air, intrigued but wary, and Eren kept himself between his podmate and the new merman.

Eren was suspicious of the newcomer, of course, but the brunet felt sure that this creature did not wish to bring them to harm. The blonde didn’t look all that threatening either, other than the very noticeable curve of his claws and the mouth lined with deadly teeth. Sure, not scary at all.

Levi had seemed a bit scary once. Maybe this merman just required a little good faith, just as the raven had done. Still, Eren remained wary. He had not ignored the lessons from his elders. He knew that mermen could be aggressive, that they were dangerous more often than they were peaceful. So then…this merman must have a reason to approach them in this way.

Oh. Eren understood, and he relaxed enough to visibly slump a little.

This merman must be looking to court one of them. No danger, then, at least not while they were on land.

Carefully, just loud enough to be heard, Eren clicked out a simple greeting. He hoped that a show of good faith would demonstrate that they, in turn, meant no harm to the merman. Ridiculous as that may seem, Eren wanted no reasons for violence to arise.

The merman blinked back at him, lifting his head slightly upon hearing the brunet’s greeting. His blue eyes, pale as the lightest part of a dawn sky, were filled with curiosity; Eren could find no trace of aggression in those gleaming pools. Good, just a curious creature meeting some of his kin. Possibly this was the first time that this mer had met any of his non-dominant kin. If that was the case then Issy wouldn’t be the only one to learn something today.

From the water, the blonde sent out a greeting of his own. His pitch was higher than Levi’s, Eren noticed. Maybe this mer was younger than the raven? The merman watched them with eyes that sparkled bright with intrigue, cocking his head this way and that whenever one of the mermaids so much as moved. His gaze was drawn low, watching every shift of their legs, every twitch of clawed toes. When the water rippled behind the merman, revealing the slow curl of dazzling blue scales, Eren guessed that this creature was curious of their differences. Behind him Isabel chittered out quiet sounds, equally curious of the scaled mystery just metres away.

The brunet risked a glance at his podmate, noting the suspicion that still lingered in Issy’s eyes. She inhaled, frowning at the scent that was totally new to her, but undoubtedly familiar, just as all mermen smelled familiar. It was the same with mermaids; all of their kin could be identified through scent, even if individual scent varied slightly. Some were sweeter than others, some were stronger, but there was always an undeniable note of familiarity.

Issy would recognise it. So would the merman.

Over by the edge of the lake, the smiling blonde made another sound, this one hopeful, and he inclined his head to beckon the mermaids closer.

Eren shifted and dug his hands into the short blades of grass beneath his fingers, anxious. He stayed put and Isabel wisely followed his lead. That didn’t seem to deter the merman for he called to them again in a pitching trill, tossing his head and flicking his tail out of the water to shower the mermaids with cold droplets.

Issy squealed at that, shaking herself off with a happy grin which she promptly turned on the blonde. He had her attention and Eren realised that it was not his place to intervene should his podmate decide to venture over. Isabel was young but not stupid. She had spirit. Eren had no doubt that she would happily give a face full of claws to anything that upset her.

The redhead did not have time to decide whether or not she would approach the courting male, however, for the mostly-still lake erupted into motion suddenly.

A flash of colour beneath the surface was all the warning that was given before the peace of the moment was shattered. The water surged as if furious, sending up foam and sloshing water onto the shore, and the first thing Eren saw emerge from the sudden wave were claws. Sharp, curved talons. Next there was a blur of black hair and snapping teeth, a monstrous rage written across pale features, but the brunet found himself feeling relieved rather than frightened.

He squeaked in happiness, rolling over in the sudden, rapid delight that overtook him.

Levi had arrived.

He looked furious.

The next few seconds were chaos as the blonde turned with a hiss, baring sharp teeth in protest only to be barrelled into by Levi. Eren lost sight of the two mermen as they crashed back under the surface of the water, thrashing about wildly. Isabel shrieked, diving behind Eren and tugging at his arm anxiously. She wanted to go. Eren cooed and clicked to reassure her, keeping his eyes fixed on the lake and the wild slashing arms that would break the surface every once in a while, followed by flashes of scaled tails. Another wave erupted and the mermen appeared again, the blonde pushing against the water with his tail, trying to get a height advantage. Levi charged him regardless, catching the blonde around the middle and sending them both hurtling towards the lake’s edge. They slammed against the shore and after a brief tussle the blonde was pinned on his back, throat under the threat of curved claws, and he winced at the thunderous bellow Levi roared right above him.

It was loud enough to make Eren flinch, pressing his ears back against his skull, but he refused to run away from his own mate and his courage paid off. After a moment of snarling, Levi glanced up at Eren and his feral expression shifted, losing the murderous glint in his eyes and the vicious display of teeth. He clicked a greeting.

And just like that the violence came to a grinding halt.

Eren trilled back at his mate, beginning to purr.

Issy yelped, clutching tight to Eren when Levi’s grey eyes focused on her form and narrowed, but the brunet clicked reassurances over his shoulder. The raven wasn’t stupid, he would know that Isabel was obviously one of Eren’s pod. She was no threat, now all Levi had to do was make that connection and all would hopefully be fine. Levi gave a disinterested sniff, still pinning the blonde to the grass, and he blinked at Eren.

Well in the very least he didn’t show any sort of interest in Isabel, neither angered by her presence nor tempted to woo her. Eren felt the tension seep from his limbs at the knowledge that Isabel was in no immediate danger.

Now all that was left to do…was to let Levi know that they could be together.

Beneath Levi’s crushing grip the blonde male grumbled, managing a choked warble that got Levi’s attention. The raven’s eyes slitted once more as he stared down at the other merman, a fool daring to encroach on his courting before he had managed to bond his mate. His anger was understandable. Levi growled, low and deadly, and for a long moment Eren feared that it would be the end for the blue-eyed merman. Pale fingers tightened on the blonde’s throat, claws pressing into the softer flesh there, and Levi growled mere inches from his rival’s ear, the blonde’s head turned obediently to the side. Submitting to the more dominant merman, willing to accept death if that was what it came to. He had chosen to surface and interact with the mermaids and if Levi saw fit to end his life for that then nothing could be done but accept his fate. A long moment passed and in the tense quiet filled with only Levi’s low growling, Eren whined.

He wouldn’t do it. Levi wouldn’t kill another of his kin with his mate present. He wasn’t so harsh as that.

Was he? For a moment, a tiny second, Eren doubted.

No. He wouldn’t. He won’t.

Another whine left the brunet’s throat, a plea with several hopes lining its sound. A plea for the other merman to be spared and freed, a plea for Levi to forget this nasty moment and reunite with his mate.

Grey eyes didn’t so much as blink as they glared down at the blonde, the raven unresponsive to Eren’s quiet mewls. A single, harsh bark left Levi’s throat and he bared his teeth in a hiss. Beneath him the blonde rumbled something back. Levi uncurled his lip and ceased his snarl at that, removing his weight from the other mer and shoving him away with a grunt.

The blonde recovered his bearings, shook himself off, and sniffed.

And apparently that was that. The disgruntled blonde stretched, rolling one shoulder with a grimace, and immediately began searching himself for injuries, grumbling all the while. Neither of the two mermen seemed particularly angry towards each other, more irritated than anything else.

Levi didn’t spare the other merman another glance, instead turning his attention towards Eren. The brunet shied under the sharp, grey gaze that fixed on him, turning his own gaze coyly towards the ground. Levi wasn’t having any of that, though, and he slapped the end of his tail against the water, the loud sound drawing Eren’s attention. The raven didn’t waste a moment, beckoning the young mer over with a quiet trill that ended in two clicks.

Eren squirmed, giving a pitching yip. He longed to dash forward and throw himself at Levi, yearning to be held by his mate’s strong arms, but movement in his periphery had him pausing. The blonde was still hanging around, eyes observing the faltering mermaid, and Eren inched forward with his narrowed eyes fixed on the strange mer.

A wary warble left Eren’s throat, his eyes fixed on the blonde. He hesitated, swallowing audibly, but a strange sound had the brunet’s eyes snapping back to Levi.

The raven had uttered a sound that Eren had never heard before. A pitching trill that dropped in tone towards the end. A name, Eren recognised, but not Levi’s own. The raven inclined his head in the blonde’s direction and he made the sound again. In turn, the blonde merman made a sound of protest and immediately Eren understood.

Levi had just told him this new merman’s name.

Farlan. The blonde merman’s name was Farlan. He didn’t seem very pleased with Levi for announcing his name to the world, huffing and sending a splash of water the raven’s way. Levi hissed back at him, less vehemently than before but still obviously put out with the other male, and Farlan resumed his sulking in silence.

Eren pieced together what Levi was trying to tell him. He knew this merman’s name, so they were obvious familiar with each other. If two mermen knew each other’s titles then they had to be somewhat…close. So then…what Levi meant by revealing Farlan’s name was that…he wasn’t something to be feared. Eren had just witnessed the two mers fight, an intimidating display, and yet neither male was bleeding. They were familiar with each other’s fighting style, then. They knew to hold back even through the fog of anger.

Familiar. Friend.

Not a threat.

Levi huffed his impatience suddenly, reaching out a hand and tossing his head. He wanted Eren closer, wanted to greet him properly, and if it really was safe then the mermaid could think of no more reasons to hold back. He edged towards the water, towards his waiting mate, eyeing Levi’s hand where it hovered in the air.

Cautiously crawling closer, Eren nuzzled the raven’s outstretched palm, letting his eyes close in response to the relief washing over him. He let Levi reach around to the back of his head to coax him forward, blinking his eyes open to inch forward, and the merman greeted him with a wet lick to the face. Eren sputtered, hearing Levi give an amused snort at his reaction, leaning forward over the bank to bump his forehead against the mermaid’s.

It felt like Eren was being welcomed home and he decided that he very much liked this feeling, this happy warmth that fluttered in his belly whenever Levi accepted him.

And then the merman was moving, letting go of the brunet and placing sure hands on the bank. Levi pushed down on the earth and pushed up with his tail at the same time, hauling himself up and out of the water. Eren scuttled back a little, just enough to give the raven room to get onto the shore, and he waited there, eyes wide, nostrils flaring. Levi didn’t smell any different, his scent only stronger thanks to his exertion only moments before.

The brunet eyed Levi’s approaching form somewhat warily, hoping that Isabel would know to stay back. There was no knowing how the raven would react to her. Eren couldn’t see Issy in his peripheral vision so he guessed that she was keeping a good distance between herself and the mermen present.

Eren yipped as Levi approached, that dark and brooding gaze moving from Eren to Isabel to Farlan on repeat, until Levi kept his eyes on Eren alone. The mermaid stayed put, waiting for Levi to reach him.

He did not miss the gravity of the moment. They had not met on land before and Eren wondered what would happen. He squirmed under the intensity of Levi’s gaze, unable to miss the shift of muscle in the merman’s arms and soon the lazy drag of his dark tail behind him. The merman did not seem phased in the least at being out of the water and that did surprise Eren. He squeaked as Levi reached him, not pausing in his advance. Eren was forced to back up a bit, but he would not flee from his mate. He fell back on his rear instead of putting more space between them, allowing the raven to advance as he pleased. Teal eyes blinked wide, regarding the placement of clawed hands over grass and leaves, seeing the subtle shift of Levi’s tail that Eren realised was helping to move forwards, coiling and pushing against the ground.

The merman was more adept on land than Eren would have guessed.

There was no time to think on that and certainly no time to move away when Levi crawled over him suddenly, forcing the smaller mer to lie back to accommodate him. Eren settled back on the grass, tilting his head to eye Levi, feeling overly aware of the hands that came to rest either side of his head. Close, the side of one thumb brushing his ear. Close but not stifling; he welcomed Levi nearer with a subtle tilt of his head. The merman took every advantage of Eren’s obedient stillness, settling between legs that parted to fit him there. Levi’s dark tail curled in places, helping him balance out of the water, careful to keep the mermaid from taking too much of the raven’s weight. There was no water to render the merman weightless up here and Levi seemed to be aware of that.

There was a lot that Levi seemed to know that Eren was becoming aware of. Possibly there would be endless things left to learn about this merman. Right now, however, the mermaid was only concerned with one thing and that was the fact that Levi was right there.

Eren flushed at their sudden proximity but he clicked a bashful “hello” regardless of that.

Clawed fingers brushed hair out of wide eyes, talons aimed carefully away, and Eren blinked up at Levi. Thin lips twitched up into an expression caught somewhere between fondness and amusement as the older mer smirked down at Eren, leaning closer, the cool skin of his cheek against the mermaid’s warmer cheek. Levi’s greeting came lower, softer, and right by the mermaid’s ear. The intimacy of such an action, of hushing a greeting so that Eren alone could hear it, made the younger mer’s toes curl.

A tingling feeling took hold of the mermaid and he was rudely reminded of the itch in his scales. The problem he’d been faced with all night. And now, hopefully, the answer to his discomfort was right there. With a barely audible whine, Eren squirmed beneath his mate. Feeling the merman’s weight and cool skin against him was comforting, like cool stream water in the summer heat, but it did not quell the ache in him completely. Another soft, piteous sound earned the mermaid a questioning cluck from the raven and Eren found Levi leaning back to regard him. His eyes roved over the smaller mer’s face, searching, worried.

A low, rumbling warble built in Levi’s throat. His brows were pulled together, nostrils flaring to take in the air. Even the merman’s gill slits flicked open once, twice, as Levi searched for what was ailing his young mate. Whatever he was looking for, Levi seemed to find it. Eren could pinpoint the exact second in which the raven identified the problem; midnight pupils narrowed to thin slits surrounded by translucent grey and Levi’s whole body lost some of its tension – a rigidity that had been present ever since the raven had arrived to see off the rival male.

The blonde was still present, treading water somewhere in the background and watching the exchange between the two courting mers. Issy was probably still around somewhere. Eren couldn’t deny that Levi had every reason to be feeling edgy.

All of that wariness seemed to leave the merman then, however, and he ducked his head suddenly, crooning low and leaning down. Eren frowned, confused, but then Levi shifted the angle of his head and the mermaid understood, tilting his own head in response. Levi’s skin met his, far cooler to the touch against Eren’s overheated flesh, but that first contact was a kind of stinging bliss as the raven slid their throats together.

The first second bordered on discomfort and Eren could help the quiet hiss that slid through clenched teeth. Levi didn’t so much as flinch, instead increasing his croon, and soon their skin was wet with scent. The slide of their throat spread the substance and as Eren felt Levi’s presence against his sore scales his body went lax.

_That_ was better. The ache was replaced with a brief sting, followed quickly with an almost dizzying relief. This was what his body, his very instincts, had been craving all night. Reunited again, the mermaid never wanted to be separated from Levi again. Not if it felt this good, this wholesome, to remain together. The discomfort in Eren melted into a warm feeling that made the brunet want to get closer. He wanted Levi to wrap him up in his arms and squeeze him tight. He never wanted to be cold again.

Eren hoped that his body wouldn’t betray him in this moment of quiet bliss as he didn’t want to ruin the gentle intimacy between them, and he tried not to move too much. He was pleased to find himself calm, the bliss coursing through him far from arousal. Much closer to contentment than anything else. Good. There were still things that the mermaid was not prepared for and physical intimacy in front of a podmate and a stranger was definitely one of those things.

Thankfully Levi seemed to be of the same opinion.

Eren started purring, eyes closing in bliss when Levi’s colours rubbed against his. The itchy ache that had been acting up since he’d left for home pond yesterday finally eased under the wet smear of Levi’s throat, the merman spreading his scent over Eren.

It didn’t occur to the mermaid that Levi was being more than a little excessive with his rubbing, making sure that Eren was covered in the smell of him before he backed off, and even then only a little. Just enough to give the smaller mer room to breathe. The mermaid got a better idea of Levi’s motives, however, when he opened his eyes to see his mate cast a warning glance in the blonde male’s direction.

Farlan just gave a dismissive click, eyes focused elsewhere.

A questioning yap sounded then and the brunet stretched, tipping his head back and looking at Isabel. She was still there, sitting in the grass a good few metres away from where Levi had Eren pinned rather effectively beneath him. Realising what he must look like from his podmate’s perspective made Eren’s face flush warm with embarrassment. The redhead was staring at him, upside down to Eren from his current position, watching the exchange between her friend and a strange creature she had never seen before sprawled casually over her podmate. She whined, a questioning sound, and cast glances between the two nuzzling mates and the lone blonde who clicked for her attention.

Eren knew that Isabel must recognise the smell of these creatures just as he had; Issy must know that these tailed beasts were kin. Confusion was only natural. All mers could recognise each other through scent, yes, but actually _seeing_ a merman in all their fully grown and intimidating glory for the first time was astounding.

Seeing just one merman was shocking enough. Now Issy had seen two and all in the same encounter. What a day it had been for her already, and it was still only morning. The redhead mermaid looked between the two mermen, assessing, and Eren felt a surge of pride when he saw Isabel take a step in the direction of Farlan. The blonde merman perked up at that, pushing up out of the water a little with his tail to impress the smaller creature.

After such an intimidating encounter, Isabel seemed to be warming to the idea of mermen quite quickly. Most mermaids didn’t get to see two of their more dominant kin this close, and Eren had never heard of two mermen acting peacefully in close proximity of each other.

Today was a day of firsts. First one merman for Isabel, then two merman together in the same instant.

Before the day was over she would see a third.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's finally too busy to be writing. This sucks. This will probably be the last update for at least 3 weeks. I might get a bit more of a break on the 4th week but I can't promise that cos I just don't know. Anyway, I'll get back to my writing during mid-year break but for now...feel free to leave feedback, ask questions if you have any; I'm always happy to talk lore.  
> Take care until next time! <3


	15. Plans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *shifty eyes*  
> It's 3:15AM. Jesus. But HERE. I PLOTTED. O_O  
> I just finished this so if you see a mistake just laugh at it and move on; I'll come back and fix shit later :p

Morning, sometime after seven. The air was cool even without much wind to stir it up. By the edge of the little clearing, the hideout was shrouded in morning shadow, not yet touched by the fingers of light trying to reach their way through the canopy. The sun began its climb towards the middle of the sky, casting the first real light over the forest.

The clearing itself was lit well enough that Hanji and her team could have left for the lake over half an hour ago, yet no one moved. All four were awake, had been since their alarm at six, and all four sat in silence.

Hanji wasn’t sure what the others were doing; she was engrossed in her own task of sitting and staring at the screen in her lap. On it was footage from the previous day, filmed by a camera that Hanji had risked going back to the lake alone to set up. She hadn’t been able to stay there, not with how edgy the merman had become after their surprise meeting, but she had managed to find where the two lovebirds had wandered off to and hid a camera and tripod in the brush. It was a limited option; she had to zoom in manually and make sure that the lens was in the optimum position since there would be no way to change the camera’s direction or focus or level of zoom once she left.

It was better than nothing and looking at the footage that had been captured Hanji was grateful to her past self of yesterday for being reckless enough to head back. Alone at that. It had been somewhat of a stupid decision and she could easily have risked injury had the merman realised that she had returned. He had been very engrossed in his little lover, though, and for the most part had not gone searching for other threats. That would have only upset the mermaid more.

Clever boy was doing everything he could to show this timid little creature that he was trustworthy – a reliable mate that could be depended upon.

Nevertheless, Hanji’s actions had been reckless. Moblit still wasn’t speaking to the brunette after the lecture he’d gone through when she’d arrived back, talking headedly about safety and life’s work.

He had been very distressed. Was probably still quite upset with her given the fact that he hadn’t spoken to Hanji once since that lecture.

A figure came out of the hide up in the trees, descending and making their way over to where the brunette sat with her little screen plugged into a solar power generator. The footsteps halted in front of her and Hanji glanced up, somewhat surprised to find Moblit standing there with the satellite phone in his hand.

“Nile’s on the phone.” He stated, sounding numb. “Also his people will be here in about twenty minutes.”

Alright, so Moblit was shit at holding grudges. The worst, in fact. And thank God for that because Hanji didn’t know how she would get through the day without him.

She nodded in acknowledgement that she had heard and let go of a deep sigh.

“Stealth landing?” The brunette enquired.

“Stealth landing.” Moblit confirmed.

“Good. It wouldn’t do to scare the whole pod away.” Hanji sighed again, pressing her fists against closed eyes and groaning. “Especially considering that our boys have made some serious progress yesterday…and all in spite of our fuck up.”

“They’re well bonded by now.” Moblit said, tone quiet. “They’ll be okay.”

“I hope so. Right, let me talk to the douchebag.” Hanji stated, reaching for the phone.

Moblit handed her the device and walked off without a word, probably for the best. Besides, he knew that the brunette would fill her team in on any updates later. Bringing the phone to her ear, Hanji took a breath.

“Alright, I’m going to try and be civil about this.” She paused until the urge to shout into the phone had passed. “What are you doing, Nile?”

“Miss Zoe,” the voice at the end of the phone greeted dryly, “we’re abandoning our asset.”

Hanji sat in silence for a moment, letting those words stick in her mind. She gave a short, hard chuckle.

“Short and sweet, I like it.” Another pause. “What do you mean?”

There wasn’t much point in asking as Hanji had a pretty good idea already. Nile didn’t want his vicious, pet merperson anymore so he was dumping it back in the metaphorical aquarium.

“We haven’t gained anything, eighteen years of care for something that yields no benefits and chews up our funds is not an asset worth keeping.” Nile said.

Hanji wasn’t even a tiny bit surprised. Even if it hadn’t been her boss in particular, anyone faced with those kinds of results would be put in a similar situation.

“So you’re killing it?” The bespectacled brunette asked and she almost hoped that the answer would be yes.

That would be better than-

“We’re simply returning the specimen into its natural environment.”

That. Returning a creature to a world it had no knowledge of.

“It doesn’t have a natural habitat, Nile.” Hanji said through a frustrated groan, pinching the bridge of her nose. “You raised the poor thing in captivity; it’s never seen any of the world that it’s _meant_ to have lived in.”

Taking these creatures out of their natural habitats was one of the stupidest things a person could do. For mermen, learning social skills was something that they did very early on in life, mostly during the first four weeks to a month that they remained in the pods where they were birthed. Those early interactions with adult mermaids and the younger mermaid pups was crucial to their ability to be able to recognise their kin again in later life when they returned to mainland areas to seek out mates. And that was yet another reason why pups were born in and raised by pods.

But outside of the pods, once merman pups began to get too rowdy and rough to remain with the other pups, they still remained around familiar youngsters when they were deposited in the ocean. Once in the ocean, merman pups started to learn hunting skills and sparring with other mermen around their own age.

Usually any pack instincts were grown out of as mermen got older, with most on their own by the age of fifteen. In some cases, mermen who had grown up together would remain in pairs but more than that could lead to more confrontation than strength in numbers.

But a pup that had been taken away before any of that learning and experience could take place would be completely lost in a world that should have been its kingdom.

Unfortunately Nile didn’t seem to grasp the importance of all this.

“Be that as it may, we can’t keep it around anymore.” He stated.

To his credit, the man did at least manage to sound somewhat remorseful. Not enough to rethink his actions, obviously.

Hanji let out a weary exhale. “I see.”

“I apologise for the inconvenience and the short notice.” Nile let out a sigh of his own. “It’s a very recent development. Be ready. I’m sending a few people out to your location. It would be appreciated if you would assist in the asset’s release.”

“This is the stupidest idea I’ve ever had the misfortune of hearing.” Hanji said. She wanted to make sure that this man and the whole company knew that she did not support this course of action, and she was the expert in the situation. “You can’t just drop him into the wild. He hasn’t had any chances to hone his hunting skills, he’ll have zero social skills, and Christ knows what he’ll do if he comes across a mermaid.” The brunette realised she was tugging on her own hair only when the sting of it registered. She took a breath and unclenched her fingers, letting her arm drop back by her side. She had to remain calm. If this got the better of her then Nile would just write off her concerns as emotional involvement. Another breath and she continued on. “They recognise each other through scent, you know? But I have no idea what this merman will do if he finds one. Usually they’ve at least seen a mermaid from a distance before. After all this time, what if all he sees is another human?”

“It’s a shit venture, I get that.” Nile agreed and he really did sound sympathetic.

It was weird and new and the man must have been through a lot of meetings to sound like this. It was almost enough to make Hanji feel bad for the guy. Almost.

“We really can’t afford to do anything else at this point.” Nile said through a sigh. “If there was a better option, I’d try for that first. This is what we’ve come up with, though.”

“And it’s a stupid idea.”

“Do you have any better suggestions?”

Hanji shut her eyes and let out a long sigh. “Short of putting him down?” No. She had nothing. “No, not really. Any sort of slow transitioning would involve introducing him to his new environment in stages and over time. You’d need to teach him how to hunt at least.”

Silence reigned for a moment. Hanji glanced up at movement across the camp, watching Nanaba emerge from their hide, climb down, and walk over to where Mike was poking at a fire. A fire that they weren’t really supposed to start because it could startle forest animals. When it came to warmth and a way to cook food, however, there was no topping an open flame.

“I’m afraid we don’t run that sort of program.” Nile’s voice pulled Hanji out of her thoughtless daze.

She blinked, tightening her grip on the phone that had been going lax. “I know.” She exhaled, looking up at the blue of the sky visible through the trees. “It was mostly wishful thinking.”

“As I said, I’m sending out a team of people to release the specimen. Will you assist them or not?”

There wasn’t much choice. Hanji didn’t see any point in resisting. If she said no, Nile would carry on ahead anyway and order his men not to pay any attention to her and her team. They would be rendered useless to protect their study subjects.

If she agreed, there was at least the chance of having a little say in how things went. They would get to keep their jobs and maybe, just maybe, she could get this captive merman deposited well away from her courting pair. The river would be a good option and if they got him far along enough, the merman might just continue on to the ocean rather than heading back to the lake.

Maybe she could make this work.

“Just promise me you won’t disturb our work anymore after this.” Hanji said, hoping against hope that she could get at least some advantage out of this miserable day.

“Of course.” Nile said almost immediately. “This will be the only incident.”

It was surprising to hear such an easy agreement but the man didn’t sound like he was lying. Even so…

Hanji’s tone was low when she next spoke and it held threats of violence.

“I will knock your teeth out if you’re lying to me.” She all but snarled, gripping the phone tight.

Nile didn’t seem all that phased, unsurprising since they weren’t speaking face to face. But if he lied, he would definitely know fear if Hanji ever got her hands on him. _Both_ of them knew that much, weather it was stated explicitly or not.

“It’s expensive keeping men in the field, Miss Zoe.” Nile sated, as though that alone would assure her that he was telling the truth. “I can assure you that they won’t be out there with you for long. These people know their job and they’ll get it done quickly.”

It sounded like the truth, but naturally Hanji suspected that there would be some convenient alterations to whatever plan she was given.

That was just like Nile; to state a basic plan that could hide greater details, only to add in those finer details later at his convenience.

“Fine.” Hanji bit out.

She had a bad feeling about this already.

“I’m glad we could come to an understanding.” Nile said simply, his tone polite all of a sudden like he was talking to some random client. Bastard. “Pleasure talking with you, Miss Zoe.”

Hanji hung up with a scowl, clenching the phone tight in her hand.

“Talking _at_ me, more like.” She grumbled, pinching the bridge of her nose and letting out a huffed breath. “Guys? Bad news.”

Time to prepare for the arrival of Nile’s people.

 

A couple of hours later and Hanji was sitting in the hide going over a screen of yesterday’s recordings. She heard a sudden commotion, loud even over the earphones she had in trying to catch the sounds passing between the two merpeople onscreen, and she tore out the earbuds with a frown.

That was a lot more noise than just a few people.

Hanji straightened from her slumped position against the wall of the hideout, shutting off the screen she had been analysing when the sound of voices reached her.

A lot of voices. The brunette could make out muffled orders and instructions being called out to God knows who. Hanji scrambled to her feet, hearing the sounds of her team over the other noise.

“Just what the hell is going on here?” Moblit’s voice carried across the clearing, anger lacing his words.

Somehow managing not to trip over any equipment, Hanji burst out of the hide only to find her team’s camp overrun with strangers. Well not strangers, per se, as the Dok logo was clearly visible on their uniforms, stitched into the jungle camouflage the newcomers were clad in. The bespectacled woman felt her jaw drop at the sight of teams of people rushing about in the small clearing, some of them armed.

Hanji gaped at the scene before her. “What the-”

“They’re just for distributing tranquiliser.” Nanaba’s voice murmured quietly beside the brunette.

Hanji couldn’t tear her gaze away from the newcomers to look at her but the other woman sounded just as worried as Hanji felt.

“What is happening here?” The brunette muttered under her breath, eyes narrowing in on a shrouded container. “Is that…?”

The container was large and sat off to the edge of the clearing. Around it were a crowd of guards, some with weapons to deposit the tranquilisers.

Moblit came running over then, calling for Hanji’s attention.

“Moblit. What can you tell us?”

“Not much. They won’t tell us anything,” he said, breathing a little unevenly after arguing his heart out with one of the newcomers, “but that has to be him.”

Moblit jerked a thumb at the heavily guarded container, stepping back to let Hanji move closer.

The asset had arrived. It was clear that there was something alive in there. Every few moments there was another loud thunk; the sound of something heavy slamming about was easily audible to everyone present. Hanji felt at least ten different urges try to take hold of her at once at the knowledge that there was a merman, captive, right there before her. She wanted to examine him, to take photos and video recordings of his reactions to the humans around him, try to estimate his age from what she would see rather than read some dull report.

That would be difficult with all the guards around, however. There were quite a few, all of them crowding the container. Just how vicious was this merman that they had brought? Was it really necessary to have so many people here? Additional researchers, people with tranquiliser guns, one particularly arrogant looking guy with a clipboard and an upturned nose – what were they all there for? Hadn’t Nile’s people been able to tame the merman at all through captivity?

If they were forced to dispose of him in this way, then the answer was fairly obvious.

“I have a bad feeling about all of this.” Hanji muttered, catching sight of Nanaba nodding her agreement in the brunette’s periphery.

A particularly loud crash had some of the guards flinching, but Hanji’s eyes only grew wider as more and more questions formed in her mind.

In any case Hanji muttered for Nanaba to get a camera before striding over to harass the fuck out of these newbies. They might have some scary looking guns but this was her goddamned assignment and even this interruption was not going to ruin it.

“Oi, frowny.” The brunette addressed one of the men guarding the container.

He looked up with an expression of wariness and Hanji wondered what expression must have been on her own face to warrant such a look. She found that she didn’t care all that much so long as these fuckers listened.

“What’s the deal?” The bespectacled woman enquired.

She went to get nearer to the container, only to be stopped by one of the guards. He stepped forward with one hand raised up to halt her progress.

“Stop. Step away from the container, ma’am.”

Hanji paused only to glare at the man’s raised hand, placing her own over her hips.

“Ah, no. I don’t know what bullshit you got told but this is my operation here.” She levelled the individuals present with a look that was worrying enough to have some near the front edging back. “You want to question me? I’ll shove the nearest branch right up your ass once I remove the stick that’s already there. Now how about you uncover the tank?” Hanji asked, jerking her chin in the container’s direction.

There was a pause as the guards looked to each other, unsure.

“I-I can’t do that.” The man, presumably the one in charge of the other guards at least, spoke up after a moment.

“You can and you bloody well will.” Hanji assured him, snapping as her patience flew out the metaphorical window. “This poor creature has been in a damned facility practically all its life and you’re going to let it see something other than white-washed walls. Uncover. The tank. Now, if you wouldn’t mind.”

The man stood, bemused for the greater part of a second, while the others guarding the container stood silent in the background. Apparently everyone had been stunned into silence by the outburst, even the dull thudding from within the tank had ceased.

That was curious indeed and Hanji instantly began wondering how much the captive had deduced about human tones of voice over the years. He had spent more time around them than probably any of his wild kin and with a start Hanji realised that this was probably one of the only merpeople that could even have a chance of in-depth comprehension of human communication. It was as obvious to merpeople that humans could communicate as it was to humans that merpeople could communicate. To each species, however, the other’s language was just noise – sounds that held no meaning without the learning and context required for understanding. But, much like humans, mermaids could usually tell human tones apart. Anger was easy to read, much like sorrow. It was the same for humans – reading aggression in posturing and tones such as growling and hissing. Of course there was no deeper understanding than that and humans missed a lot of different tones in different types of growls. There were sounds meant for threatening and intimidating, sounds of warning, even sounds of comfort, and all of these could come in the form of a growl. Then there was purring which could sound like a growl when it got to a certain volume, and even that could demonstrate different emotions; happiness, affection, even anxiety.

Nanaba arrived by Hanji’s side, camera in-hand and already filming, and both braced themselves for whatever they were about to see as the tarp shrouding the tank was unfastened and pulled away.

The tank was filled with bubbles and the wild thrashing of a pale figure. Hanji’s eyes narrowed in glimpses of pale flesh and a murky colour that she presumed to be this merman’s scales. It was an odd shade, quiet subdued compared to a lot of males she had glimpsed before. Usually the males had quite strong colours in order to attract the attention of mermaids.

Hanji suspected that a lack of sunlight had affected the way this merman’s colours had turned out. With proper exposure they would probably have been a more prominent green or maroon.

But those were thoughts for another time and Hanji could always ponder over the film that Nanaba was capturing.

The thrashing eased as the merman became aware of the sudden change in light. The wild struggling stilled at last and as the bubbles cleared Hanji got her first proper look at the captive that Nile had held prisoner since it was just a pup.

Even the yellow of his hair was pale, and Hanji noted the icy, pallid blue of the merman’s eyes as they stared around at everyone. Wide eyes full of anger, limbs shaking with that barely suppressed rage.

Even that stopped when the merman noticed his surroundings at last.

He froze, eyes wide and darting every which way. Hanji recognised the surprise on this creature’s face, unmasked shock written plainly across the previously vicious features.

This merman was in awe. Eyes of pallid blue flitted about, taking in a thousand things that his eyes had never seen before – trees, grass, a bird flying off that actually seemed to scare the merman, and countless other things. So many shades of green and brown, different plants; ferns, trees, grass, and above it all a vibrant blue dome.

One massive hand came up to the glass, claws clicking against the solid surface, and Hanji wondered how she could be feeling happiness and heartbreak in the same instance. This merman was seeing the world for the first time and it was completely unfamiliar to him. His whole world should have been blue, the endless blues of the ocean around him and the sky above. He should have known a thousand different colours from animals, marine life, and the rainbow of coral reefs.

Instead he had lived in a man-made world of glass and white walls.

At least the harsh beams of the sun wouldn’t seem startlingly bright after something like that. It would probably be a reprieve.

Hanji took a step forward and that’s when the calm picture shattered.

Those blue eyes fixed on her and the tank erupted into chaos again as the blonde male began thrashing and tossing his weight about. It was a worrying display. The guards around the tank gave shouts of alarm, standing back, weapons raised, in case he broke free.

That wasn’t going to happen; Hanji could see that much. The merman couldn’t get up enough speed to break through the tough glass and the cramped confinement kept him from escaping. It was an effective prison that he was trapped in.

The thunder of blows landing on the glass, however, had Hanji freezing up. The container that held the captive shook with the force of the merman’s assault, even without a speed burst. Taking in the wild beast, she suddenly saw why Nile was giving up on him. He was ferocious.

Hanji didn’t blame the poor thing one bit.

“Don’t rile him!” One of the guards hissed Hanji’s way.

She rolled her eyes. “I got it. Geez. When will you be releasing him?”

“We’ve been instructed to take him to the lake and let him go there.”

That was news to the brunette, and rather distressing news at that.

“What?” She said aloud, tone flat. “I thought you’d put him in the river? Let him find his way back to the ocean?”

That would make the most sense. Nile had said that they wanted to free the merman, not try and thrust him into an environment of hostile mers.

“Our orders are to deposit him in the lake.” The head guard stated.

So that was how it was going to be? Hanji’s eyes narrowed and it became clear that her earlier bad feeling would have something to do with this. Nile’s _simple_ plan really wasn’t so simple after all, but what did he want?

That didn’t matter right then. At all costs Hanji knew that she could not allow this merman to be put into the lake.

If he came across a mermaid…or worse, the ever-defensive Loverboy…

“You can’t.” Hanji stated, tone clipped. “Absolutely not. There are things underway that cannot be put upon by something like this.”

“We have our instructions-”

“And I’m telling you it’s not going to happen.” The brunette bit back, practically bearing her teeth at the man. “You interrupt my pair now and it could be disastrous.”

Despite firm and increasingly loud protests, the morons surrounding the captive’s tank refused to listen to Hanji’s reasoning. She tried to be patient with them, but the researcher could only listen to so many versions of the same avoidance.

_We have orders._

_Our instructions were clear._

_Nile said this, Nile said that, blah, blah._

Turned out Nile had said a lot of things. Most of the shit he’d said to Hanji seemed to have been straight-up lies. The brunette had a good mind to start kicking some major ass but she was interrupted when a hand jutted into her field of vision clutching a satellite phone.

Turning her head, Hanji took in Moblit and the grave look on his face. She clicked her tongue in annoyance but accepted the phone, pressing it to her ear and speaking without waiting to ask who was on the other end of the call. She didn’t have to ask who was responsible for this clusterfuck.

“Nile, you’d better have one fucking amazing explanation for this.” She growled into the phone. “You said a few people. I’ve got my eyes on a small army.” Hanji waved an arm violently at the array of people traipsing about. “There are dudes by the tank, dudes rifling through our camp, heck there’s even a dude over there in a shrub doing fuck knows what. So what the hell is happening?”

“Miss Zoe.” The man greeted without an ounce of inflection in his voice. “There’s been a change of plans.”

Of course there had. How convenient.

“No shit. I couldn’t tell.” Hanji scowled, wishing that her boss could see the expression. But he couldn’t so she made extra effort into sounding as pissed off as possible. “I expressly remember you saying that we would have complete control over this expedition. Before any of this shit went down. Well it’s still my mission here and you’re currently fucking it all up. Well done. So what the fuck happened to your promises, Dok?”

Nile sighed and Hanji could just imagine the put upon expression he had to have been wearing right then, no doubt rubbing at his eyes like this was all some great ordeal that he had to go through.

She had never wanted to punch anybody more than she did now. At her side, Nanaba edged away a little and Moblit took the least subtle step back possible without actually turning tail and running.

Hanji barely noticed either movement.

“There’s been a development.” Nile said finally and the brunette was really sick of his calm tone and clever phrasing. “I’ve been talking with some of the shareholders and we’ve come to an arrangement.”

“Spit it out, then.” Hanji practically spat the words herself, gripping the phone tight enough that it gave a quiet creak of protest. She took a deep breath, managed to loosen her hold a little, and kept going. “Why are there fifty fuckers dressed for a historical re-enactment of Nam in my camp? What arrangement have you come to?”

“We want to try some interaction between our specimen and yours.”

Oh hell no. He did not just go there.

“Har har, no way.” Hanji forced out a laugh and her tone sounded terribly vacant even to her ears. “You said you wanted to put your vicious little pet out in the wild.” Hanji reminded the man, speaking slow and careful to ensure that he didn’t mishear. “That was it. You never said anything about interrupting my pair.”

Another sigh filtered through the phone.

“This is the mission, like it or not.”

“Well I don’t like it, you colossal fuck.” Hanji seethed, baring her teeth at nothing. “You kept your fucking pet project a secret for years and decide to tell me now? That’s some bullshit right there and I’m calling you out on it.”

“You’ve only been with us for the past three years, Zoe.” Nile was quick to remind her and Hanji sneered at his words. “And to be clear, I was planning on bringing you into my team. No one knows these beasts like you do. It was just a matter of time.”

“It’s a little too late for that.”

“I had planned to wait until you returned from this latest venture but, considering that our merman here is beginning to get more than a little rowdy, we figured it would be as good a time as any to see how he does in the wild. We’ve brought him out to you.”

“How fucking thoughtful of you.” The bespectacled brunette muttered dryly, clenching her fingers into a fist only to relax them again, then repeat the motion. She needed a distraction from her growing anger or else she might actually start throwing punches. At last she hissed out an exhale. “I don’t understand why. Why now? You invested so much time, so much money to keep this creature alive and sustained. Why are you just throwing all that away? What are you playing at?”

“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”

“Don’t pull that oblivious crap with me! You never do anything unless you think it’s going to go in your favour. That’s probably why you bothered capturing a merperson at all, right? What were you planning to do with him, hm?”

“You’re smarter than you look.”

“Screw you.”

Nile carried on as if the outburst had not occurred. “Yes, it’s true that we were hoping to be able to make some kind of profitable discovery from a captured merperson. Initially we were after the answer to whatever makes them live so long. When that proved too difficult due to the specimen’s growing aggression, we moved onto testing different methods of sedation.”

“You didn’t.”

“There was no other way for our people to get close to the damn thing. It was the first breakthrough in months when we got the beast unconscious and even then we only got a few samples – blood, some scale and hair samples. Did you know that mer scales turn into-”

“Mother of pearl.” Hanji cut him off, letting out an exasperated huff. “I know. In all cases of a merperson’s corpse being discovered they were always scaleless and surrounded by mother of pearl. We used to think it was some kind of funeral ritual or attempted burial by other mers, but no. It’s just what their scales do when they’re no longer alive.”

A pause.

“Interesting.” Nile said at last.

Hanji scowled at the ground. “You should have brought me in a lot earlier.”

“I won’t deny that.” He admitted, evening managing to sound rueful. “You would have been useful, particularly with our attempts at studying teeth.”

Well that was just cruel. A merman’s teeth, like their claws, were primary weapons for hunting, sparring against other males, and even claiming and defending territory. Roaming males used them for fighting other males they met or defending themselves from other, larger predators.

To take those things away from a merman was to severely cripple him. It was practically an insult.

“You took his teeth?” Hanji asked, feeling here eyes widen.

“They grow back.” Nile said in a tone that made her sure he was shrugging. “And we only took a few -  the fangs – so that he wouldn’t be so much of a danger to our scientists.”

“Oh dear.”

“Quite.” Nile agreed, sounding sheepish to say the least. “The asset got particularly rowdy after that so we upped the sedatives and took out the longer canines. For safety measures, of course, although the enamel was studied thoroughly. His teeth have grown back, as I’m sure you can see.” Nile muttered and Hanji had to agree, looking to the thrashing merman and the unmistakable flash of teeth ready to tear into anything it could reach. “I assure you the specimen is more than capable of defending itself. We lost more than one researcher just trying to get him into the transportation tank.”

Lost? As in dead. This creature couldn’t have killed anyone if he was being moved from containers properly and that would involve…

“What? Why didn’t you sedate him before trying to move him?”

“No point. He’s very resistant to our sedatives. After years of being exposed to them, I suppose it shouldn’t have been surprising.”

Jesus Christ. How much had they exposed the captive to for him to develop such a resistance?

“Are you shitting me right now?” Hanji lowered her voice, mainly so that she wouldn’t start shouting. “You’re not even going to consider that you might have formed an addiction to those drugs against this creature’s will? What if he goes into withdrawal? He won’t even know what’s happening, won’t know what he needs.” The brunette paused, biting her tongue when a few vicious words tried to make their way out. Finally she spoke again. “You people are monsters.”

It was the nicest thing she could think of to say.

Nile breezed right over that accusation, however, and Hanji hated him for it.

“We were going to look into merman anatomy and see if we couldn’t start up a breeding program,” the man said instead and he sounded almost nonchalant, “maybe get some of these beasts in a zoo or two.”

Of all the stupid ideas.

“You’re an idiot, then.” Hanji said through a bitter chuckle. “I knew that already, but to try and keep these creatures enclosed? With mermaids, maybe that would work. But mermen are used to having _oceans_ to explore. There are thousands upon thousands of years of instinct that tell these creatures to roam, to hunt, to seek out a mate. Did you even stop to think about what captivity could do to a creature with such a strong need for freedom?”

No. The answer was no.

“Clearly not.” Nile’s words only confirmed Hanji’s solemn thought. “He’ll be getting his freedom now, though. Release the specimen into the lake. Record what data you can. Who knows, maybe he’ll be able to learn a few things from the pair you’re studying?”

Hanji froze up at those words. She remembered the orders the tank guards had spoken about, the vagueness of this whole operation, and now Nile’s plan made sense.

He wanted to set the captive loose in the lake to create chaos and see how the wild merpeople responded.

It was just one big experiment.

“No.” Hanji said and she had never heard herself sound so…frightened. She was terrified, not for herself but for one creature – a little, brown-haired mermaid that was too innocent to have a monster like this captive thrown into his happy little world. “No.” She said again, swallowing thickly. “They’re only just trusting each other. You could destroy an already fragile bond!”

“Hanji?” Nanaba was trying to talk to her, ask about what was happening.

Hanji couldn’t answer her, couldn’t even calm her frantic tone.

“No, Nile, this is-it’s just wrong! You can’t just release this creature into an environment it’s never seen before! It’s been cut off from its natural habitat since it was a pup, it might not have ever seen another of its kind. What do you think a recently matured captive is going to do in the wild? Faced with things it’s never seen? Driven by instincts it doesn’t understand? This is the stupidest thing you could possibly do!”

And there was nothing she could do to stop it.

“It’s a little late to turn back now.” Nile murmured. “I’ve already been informed that my team and their cargo have arrived at your site.”

Hanji paused at that, swallowing and enquiring. “How did you find us again?”

They’d never told him a specific location. As far as he’d known they were just out in the wild in one particular area.

“Your equipment is company gear. They’re all equipped with tracking devices.” Nile supplied her with the answer and it made the researcher scowl.

“Of course.” Hanji rolled her eyes.

“There’s no changing this, Zoe. It’s best if you just accept it.”

“What if I don’t want to accept it?” Hanji said, going quiet for a long moment, watching the guards around the tank with an odd, manic gaze. “What if I personally feed your team to the beasties out here, hmm?”

Of all the things to say, Hanji should have known that that was what would finally get Nile’s attention.

“Then you can consider yourself and your co-workers fired.” He snapped, finally losing his air of calm. “And sued.” The man added. “And don’t think you’ll ever get to work with your precious mers ever again. I’ll see to it that the only thing you ever see again are four padded walls.” There was a pause. “It isn’t as if we’re going to destroy a whole colony of these things. We just want to one test with one pair and maybe gather a couple of others. It isn’t the end of the world.”

“It could be the end of their world.” Hanji countered but her tone had lost most of its inflection now. She knew she had lost but she carried on talking anyway. Maybe if she stalled long enough Loverboy and his sweet little mermaid would finish their courting and just leave. Hanji would find them again if it killed her, but she couldn’t let something else kill them. Not when she could help. “They’re not just mindless animals. They’re intelligent. They have social structures, rituals, traditions based from instincts that we couldn’t hope to trace back. You can’t just fuck with that.”

“I can, actually. With or without your help.”

With or without her there to influence the situation. Well then…there was only one course of action…and the brunette didn’t like it.

“If…If we do this,” Hanji felt her throat close and she had to pause for a moment before she could speak again, “…what would it entail?”

Nothing more than the sacrifice of her principles.

“Just release our mer into the nearest body of water. Get as much data as you can. Report back.” Nile’s instructions were simple enough, and yet devastating. “If he survives, he’s as good as free.”

“And if he gets torn to shreds?” Hanji asked.

She knew full well how important the _asset_ was to Nile and his company. To them, after all this time, it had no worth at all.

“Well then we’ll be one merman short, won’t we?” Nile scoffed, predictably cold-hearted as he had to be when making these sorts of decisions. “There are plenty of mers out there; all we need to do is wait for the opportunity to snag another pup. Hell, we could even bring in some adults. If this mission goes as planned, I might even let you help us track the pods we’re thinking of taking from. Maybe you’ll even get to assist in a capture?”

“I don’t like this. Any of it.”

“I didn’t think you would.” The man admitted. He didn’t sound surprised to hear Hanji’s distaste at all. “But we’re never going to find out more about these creatures if we don’t take a risk once in a while. Listen, just do your job and I’ll see to it that your work is funded in full, all expenses covered, for the foreseeable future. Deal?”

Hanji’s jaw set, tense and unmoving. She gritted her teeth and hissed out a cuss.

“You’re a manipulative piece of slime, you know that?” The brunette told him when she next spoke.

Nile didn’t agree, though he didn’t disagree either.

“What’s your answer, Miss Zoe?” Was all he asked.

“You know what?” Hanji couldn’t believe she was saying this. “If I help you do this, not only will you continue funding us. Fully. But you’ll provide us with everything we need to continue to monitor our current pair.”

“If they make it, then fine.” Nile conceded.

“They’ll make it.” Hanji said, more to herself than to Nile. “Loverboy’s tough. He won’t let anything happen to the little guy.”

“Loverboy?” The man echoed at the other end of the call.

The bespectacled brunette shook her head despite the fact that Nile wouldn’t be able to see the action.

“Nothing.” She murmured.

“Okay, Zoe. If you assist us in this mission, release the captive and assist in any possible captures that make themselves available, then you’ll have your funding. And anything else you need. I’ll expect full reports of progress, though.”

“You’ll get them.” The researcher confirmed.

“On time?” Nile sounded like he didn’t believe her.

Hanji grit her teeth. “I’ll do my best.” She ground out.

“Very well then. Is this the deal we’ll be agreeing on?”

“Deal.” She muttered the word, tone cold, and ended the call immediately. The phone fell to the grass and Hanji sucked in an uneasy breath, turning to her team. “Let’s get this shit over with.”

 

It didn’t take long to explain what would be happening. Unsurprisingly, none of Hanji’s team were enthusiastic about the idea. That couldn’t be helped, however. Their jobs and life’s work were at stake.

So off they all went, everyone in the now-crowded camp area heading off to complete the new mission.

Release and record. Capture new subjects if possible. The chances of that were unlikely, though.

Nile’s people split into teams, some assigning themselves to assist Hanji’s group, some planning to survey the area, and the rest in charge of following along with the asset once a location had been established for them to place him at. The tank would be lowered to the location from the air again, close to the lake so that the merman would be able to get directly into the water once the container was opened. The frame was designed to be able to tip the tank up and deposit water out once it was opened so that the merman would tumble into the lake and no humans would have to come into contact with him.

All in all, Hanji was impressed with their planning.

Her team was in place with whatever equipment they were able to carry to record what happened. Hanji herself was leading the team that were surveying the area. Their task aside from monitoring their surroundings, was to draw any wild mermen present away from the mermaids so that their specimen could interact without interruption.

This was the part that Hanji felt the worst about. She had to make sure that there was video evidence of their captive interacting with at least one mermaid before he could be introduced to another merman. Another instruction from Nile – a request for proof that their mer had actually interacted with both halves of his kin.

After that, Nile didn’t care what happened. He had left instructions for any interactions to be monitored and documented, and any free teams would look into the possibility of capturing nearby mermaids for further study.

One of the men at Hanji’s side turned to give her the okay that they were to begin their distraction and the brunette sighed. She braced herself, knowing that not just anything would bring the mermen over in a hurry.

“Alright.” Hanji murmured, nodding a few times to herself more than anyone else. She leaned towards the individual at her side so that he would be sure to hear her. “Tell the others to start moving in the asset on my signal.”

“What’s the signal?” The man asked.

Hanji swallowed, shaking out her limbs in preparation. “Trust me,” she muttered, “they won’t miss it.”

And with that, the brunette started forward into the shallows.

As expected, panic ensued. The people on the shore began to shout in alarm, paying no thought to the fact that noise would surely draw the mermen towards them. That was the idea, though, so Hanji didn’t bother hissing at them to shut it. Instead she continued to move forward, getting further away from the shore.

Water crept up to her shins, her knees.

“Miss Zoe! Stop!”

“What the hell is she doing?!”

Ignoring the cries of people who no doubt thought that she had lost it, the brunette continued forwards. They were right, something had probably freaked out in her brain. Why else would she be entering mer-infested waters?

Maybe she really was crazy. No time to dwell on that thought, however. No. The researcher had her job to save.

Hanji waded out until the water was reaching her waste and made for a nearby patch of dirt that probably counted as an island. It was small, a patch of rocks and dirt, logs and a single, gnarly tree. Pulling herself up onto the dirt, Hanji started shouting.

“Alright, time to pay attention, Loverboy!”

And while she started a ruckus, the others on shore finally started to get the idea.

“Oh shit.”

“What’s she doing?”

“Distraction. It’s the signal.”

“Jesus Christ. Okay, tell the others to deploy. Deploy!”

 

It had been a few minutes now and still nothing. The brunette continued to call out, kicking at the water and throwing stones. She knew that her presence must have been detected.

Maybe the mers were busy harassing some of the other teams? That seemed like the most likely scenario.

Where else could they be?

Hanji shivered, still shouting and splashing and making as much of a ruckus as she could. Her eyes were on the water, though, wary of any approaching shape. There was no way that the mermen of the lake didn’t know she was there. It was only a matter of time before one of them showed up. Or all of them.

And brought with them mouths filled with teeth, fingers tipped in vicious claws, and a short temper to boot.

Shit, she really hadn’t thought this through. All Hanji could do was hope that the little mer got some time to see the captive. She hoped he bolted at the first glance at the big brute. Obviously the little sweetheart would return to look for his mate, and maybe by then Loverboy would have taken care of the new threat. Either killed him or chased him off.

Hanji didn’t want the captive to die…but if she had to choose between that or one of her pair going…well, she already had her favourites.

Just then a noise reached the researcher’s ears; a quiet splash.

Oh fuck.

The brunette stumbled out of the shallower water around the little island and got as far up as she could.

A low growl cut through the air and Hanji whipped her head around to find the source of the sound.

“H-Hey there, Loverboy.”

The only response she got was a sharp snap of teeth.

“Nice to see you again, too.” Hanji gave a nervous chuckle, shoving wet strands of loose hair away from her face. “Clearly you missed me.”

It was clear in an instant that the raven remembered her. Out of all the humans around, Hanji knew that she was fairly distinctive with her ponytail and thick glasses. If this merman remembered any of the team, it would be her. He didn’t look very pleased to be laying eyes on her again, either. The raven-haired mer’s grey eyes narrowed in recognition, upper lip curling back into a snarl, and Hanji could only smile at him.

She should have been dead already. Mermen were ferocious. They were deadly.

What the hell was wrong with this one? He didn’t attack, didn’t charge, just hovered there in the shallows. Still mostly submerged but for his head and shoulders, the raven bared his teeth and growled, tossing his head at her in what could only have been a demand for her to scram.

No way was Hanji going to risk getting in the water with this thing, though. Not even to escape. Not even if it suddenly learned to speak and asked her to.

But she couldn’t just stand there in silence either, else the merman might start taking interest in Nile’s people up on the shore. They were being quiet for now at least, thank fuck, but if the shock wore off the idiots might start talking. So Hanji went for something that she was excellent at.

She started talking.

“Hey.” The brunette began, letting go of a startled laugh as she began to lower down onto her knees. She didn’t want to appear confrontational. “Pretty sure you can’t understand me any more than I can understand you, but I have to say that I’m sorry.”

The raven showed no signs that he could interpret what she was saying, in fact the more she spoke the more perplexed he seemed to get. The merman’s ears twitched forward, his brows drawn together in irritation.

Hanji got down at last, kneeling in the mud, her hands held out in what was probably a useless attempt to pacify the snarling merman. She smiled at him, feeling her eyes stinging but making no move to hide the tears that surfaced. It was a mixed emotion taking hold of her – fear primarily, but also sorrow.

“I’m so sorry for coming in here and making such a mess of things.” Hanji said thickly and as she spoke something extraordinary happened.

The merman’s snarling quietened. His eyes were wider, ears facing forward, and he flicked his gills open to scent the air.

Much like Hanji had suspected, merpeople seemed to have an understanding of tones. The raven had no idea about the words that the human before him spouted, but he recognised the sound of her distress. Hell, he could probably smell her terror.

Maybe humans and merpeople were more similar than anyone had thought?

“You’ve done really well, all things considered.” Hanji carried on. Her hands were shaking. She kept talking. “And that mermaid? What a cutie. If anything happens to him-” for a moment the brunette couldn’t speak, her throat closing around the lump that had been building there. She swallowed, kept going, “…I won’t be upset if you kill me. You’re a miracle, you know? An anomaly of nature. You should be pulling that mermaid down into the water and just taking him. At your age, you have to be feeling the desperation. Your mating urges should be in overdrive.” Hanji laughed but the sounds came out more like sobs, her voice thick with emotions and her face wet with the first overflowing tears. “How the hell can you be so _gentle?”_

This merman was a rare anomaly and his mate would be so, so lucky to have him. Few mermen were so patient, so considerate.

The astonishingly calm raven riled again quickly, noticing the presence of the other humans on the shore. He let out a bellow at them, the volume impressive.

Hanji jumped to her feet again before he could tear off and go chasing the others. He rounded on her with a vicious sound and the brunette held up her hands.

“Easy, easy there, Loverboy!” She sucked in a shaky breath, moving slowly to keep his attention on her. It seemed to be working. “I’m routing for you, you know. You’ve waited so long and nature dropped this adorable little squirt into your lap. Do mermen have laps? Eh, doesn’t matter. I’m so proud of you two. Take care of the little rascal. He’s too inquisitive for his own good. I mean obviously, he was curious enough to stick around and meet you.”

The merman was losing patience. His form moved steadily closer, sounds of aggression building in his throat.

Hanji knew her time was just about up.

“Alright, alright.” She waved her hands when those grey eyes began to wander to the shore again, wincing when those slitted orbs snapped back at the sight of her moving. “This is important.” She stated, speaking very slowly. “I know you can’t understand my words but maybe you can get with the urgency in my tone here.” Hanji’s eyes were wide and earnest as they held the fierce gaze of the merman closing in on her. His hand reach up onto the mud, claws digging in for purchase. Hanji’s voice shook but she kept talking. “We’re about to send a whole lot of holy fuck your way so look lively. For God’s sake do your job and take care of that mermaid. I have no clue what our specimen will do to him.”

Another snap of teeth had Hanji falling silent and pressing herself back against the little, old tree behind her. She prayed that the merman made it quick and didn’t try to kill her slowly.

She blinked and in the span of her blinking something happened. Something that stopped the merman’s advance. Hanji heard the sound, a shattering like a window being smashed. She frowned.

“Wh-Wha?”

There were no windows around here.

The raven heard the sound too, freezing, and tilted his head to one side to listen. His ears twitched back and forth, straining to hear more.

There was a splashing somewhere across the lake, loud enough that even Hanji could hear the sudden thrashing, and the brunette watched in awe as the merman before her froze. His ears shot up, twitching back towards the noise, and his pupils slitted so fast that Hanji almost missed the change. With a single snarl that had a heartbreakingly panicked note to it, the raven was twisting and diving beneath the surface of the lake. He was gone in a split second.

Gone. Without so much as scratching her.

Hanji sniffled, gasping in a stunned breath when she realised she hadn’t been torn to shreds. Her eyes welled up and the biologist didn’t even bother wiping away the stinging tears as she slid down the trunk of the tree.

Whatever had happened couldn’t have been good and Hanji knew that the worst must have occurred.

Clearly…the captive was free.

Wiping at her face with muddy hands, Hanji sobbed, staring at the last ripples caused by the raven-haired mer’s hasty exit.

She hoped against hope that he made it in time.

“Go, Loverboy, go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well. Shit's going down. Next chapter coming soon, I just have to decide if I should do captive's POV or not bother. Thoughts?


	16. Stranger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warnings - just in case:
> 
> Character death  
> Mentions of drowning

_Levi’s POV_

Levi was purring. It wasn’t something that he had done very often, if at all, before he had found the vibrant little creature currently beneath him.

Eren didn’t seem to mind, laid back against the grass with his arms sprawled above his head, posture almost coy. Occasionally the brunet’s eyes would wander, looking for the other two mers that he knew were still somewhere nearby, but Levi fought to keep Eren’s attention on him. He kept the mermaid pinned under his weight, watching the smaller mer squirm and fidget, but once the brunet got relatively comfortable he didn’t complain. He seemed perfectly content to lie there, trapped in a way but he had allowed himself to get that way. And now the mermaid was still, eyes closed and a happy expression painting his features while Levi purred and nuzzled him.

It occurred to the raven that he was being a little smothering. Maybe more than a little. If it had something to do with the other two mers nearby, Eren didn’t have to know.

Hell, maybe the brunet had already guessed as much. He was clever, Levi’s little mate.

Eren. Sweetest, sunny, little Eren. So warm under his hands, Levi felt scorched at the contact but he only pressed closer to the brunet who purred in answer. Pressed a wrist to Eren’s throat, holding their respective scales together until the smaller mer got the message and let his head fall to the side. Edging closer, Levi set his mouth over the sensitive flesh, pressing his teeth into the soft skin. Eren whined at him but did not protest and it took a herculean effort on Levi’s part not to press down harder, break that delicate skin and draw blood. That would be his right soon enough and Levi could wait. He sucked at the skin there instead, pulling away with effort to rub his throat against Eren’s to spread his scent there.

The brunet clucked, curious, head still obediently turned. He squirmed, no doubt wondering what Levi was doing that took this long.

Only when the mermaid was smothered in scent did Levi let Eren slip away, his low croon thrumming with affection. Levi admired his handiwork while Eren rubbed at his throat, the tanned flesh glistening with the oily substance. The brunet brought his scent-covered fingers to his nose, giving a few, curious sniffs and yipping out a delighted sound when he recognised the smell of mate was covering him. Eren warbled his approval, rubbing his wrists and hands over his scent-dampened skin to smear the slick stuff across his scales, snuffling happily all the while.

Levi felt the thrumming in his throat grow louder in response and he rolled onto his back, hands reaching up above his head for the mermaid. Eren seemed eager to have Levi’s scent everywhere and the merman was all too happy to oblige him.

Teal eyes blinked up at the low croon that started in Levi’s throat, rumbling in his chest. It was a sound of comfort – promises of warmth, strong arms to hold and protect him, a willing body to curl up to each night. The raven hoped his croon conveyed all that he wanted to be able to do for his little Eren, one day when they were finally tied together as a mated pair. When Eren allowed it, Levi would gladly bond them.

First, though, a simpler display of commitment.

Levi flexed his fingers, eyes dancing with promises of mischief and affection. The soft grass tickled the skin of his back and Levi rolled his tail up from where the flukes still touched the water of the lake, flicking droplets over his body and Eren’s.

The action earned him a delighted squeal and Levi cooed while he watched Eren fall over himself trying to catch the last flying beads of water in his mouth, the younger mer grinning all the while. He was such a young creature, still easily entertained with the simplest things and ready in a second to spring into some game. Levi hated that he would be taking Eren away from his pod, from years that could have been spent in this prolonged stage of adolescence and puphood, teetering on the edge of both.

But Eren had the scent of a matured mermaid. He was ripe, his body readying itself for mating, and all that remained of Eren’s true puphood was his young and carefree spirit. Levi hoped that he kept that spirit forever.

He would do everything he could not to stamp out that flame. This mermaid was precious; it was the first of Levi’s kin to ever call to him in such a way.

Even before they had met, the raven-haired mer had sensed that somewhere a potential mate was nearing maturity. Not just any potential mate would pull so strongly at his instincts and force him to abandon a territory that he had held for some years now. Levi had known when he felt that first, instinctual tug that it was something important. Not just a match but _the_ match. And Levi had hardly known what that meant. So he’d left, knowing that no amount of confusion would be enough to make him ignore that feeling.

It hadn’t surprised Levi when his travels led him inland immediately, along a river that he had swam past many times but never considered entering. The raven had swum along its winding path for three days before coming across the lake, feeling the pull of instinct finally fade.

He was in the right place at last. Not all that far from his home, either.

The freshwater lake was very different from the ocean that Levi had known almost all of his life, but it brought back impossibly old memories of the raven’s pod.

That had been so very long ago now. It felt like an eternity. Two years shy of three decades, and those years passed very slowly for the raven. In comparison, his time in his pod could have come and gone in the blink of an eye and yet those were some of the most vivid memories that he had.

Levi remembered the smell and taste of the water of his home pond, the look of green in the surrounding forest and the kind eyes of the mermaid that had been his mother. Of the few times that Levi had examined his own reflection in rare moments of finding water still, he had surmised that he and his mother looked quite alike. It was one of the few happy realisations that the raven had had.

He had been the only pup his mother had birthed and normally that meant the chances of a lonely puphood were higher, but luckily there had been pups from other litters to play with. None of them his age but all of them just as small. Mermaids, all of them, and Levi had learned at a very early age that he had to be _very_ careful around his legged kin. They weren’t as durable as he was, nor could they swim as fast or bite as hard. Levi had quickly learned not to bite his tiny podmates or else they would wail and not come to the pond to play with him. If he was docile enough and let them wonder at his tail and gills, the little mers wouldn’t mind that he grew much faster than they did or that his mouth quickly lined itself with pointed teeth and his fingers tipped themselves with sharp claws that curved.

Where they were tiny, sunny little bundles of innocence, Levi found himself becoming more and more fiendish with every day. His body armed itself with teeth and wicked claws. Weapons to better grasp his prey. Tools to better keep that prey from escaping.

Levi was a creature built for speed and efficient killing.

Growing up with so many soft, fragile little creatures to be careful around, however, put a grinding halt on the development of a lot of more vicious instinct. At six weeks of age most merman pups had to be taken from their pods and brought to the sea because their behaviour got too rough for them to remain around the weaker, mermaid pups. Levi remained with his pod for longer than that. Levi didn’t try to wrestle his fellow pups or pull them into home pond. Instead he brought them fish and little snails and slugs to poke at and eventually eat. Levi didn’t bite. He didn’t scratch. He didn’t do any of these things because it meant he would be left alone in their little home pond and something bone-deep in the little merman had told him that he _couldn’t_ be alone then.

Levi later learned that fear had been because he would end up being alone for years before he found proper, halfway-civil company again.

As a pup, Levi would teach his little podmates to swim. They did it a bit differently than the merman, having to kick out with their legs and use their arms as well, but it worked so he didn’t chide them. If any of the mermaid pups got distressed in the pond or couldn’t keep themselves afloat, Levi would tow them back to spots where their little webbed feet could reach the ground again and he would fuss over them until their frightened weeping stopped.

To Levi, for those first weeks of life being a merman meant being a source of comfort, teaching, and protection.

For many years after that, being a merman meant charging before communicating, learning to become efficient with his claws and teeth and use them as the weapons they were. To be a merman in the sea was to be vicious, ruthless against any opponent.

There were no mermaids to protect out in the wide oceans. All Levi had had to worry about for years was himself. Those were lonely years.

Until Levi met another merman who didn’t charge at him the second they spotted each other. The raven remembered those first moments – spotting the flash of yellow hair and sharp eyes like the water around them but paler. More akin to the morning sky. It had been a young merman, younger than Levi by some years, and the raven remembered the way the younger mer had tensed up when their eyes had met. Spotting danger. Expecting an attack. No doubt already preparing himself for a fight. But those eyes had been full of shock, not anger, when neither of them moved to attack. It had been an extraordinary moment, charged and silent. Both mermen had treaded water, not uttering a sound. Around them, the very ocean seemed to take a breath. Levi had waited, watched, felt the currents drifting by his skin, ruffling through his hair.

Then he had turned and left. It seemed like the only right thing to do. That strange merman had not attacked him and Levi would not bring violence or death to a creature who had not already moved to harm him.

Little, familiar faced had flickered through the raven’s mind and he gritted his teeth.

Him, or those he cared about. Those who could not defend themselves.

The young merman had followed him. It wasn’t very surprising. Finding kin who didn’t try to kill you on sight was a rarity. The blonde followed at a safe distance, giving Levi a wide birth to let the raven know that he was not stalking or hunting him, and soon enough they had been swimming side by side in silence.

The blonde merman had told Levi that his name was Farlan and the raven had clicked his own name in reply.

And that had been it. Suddenly Levi hadn’t been all alone anymore. Never entirely. Even when Farlan would wander off to roam every once in a while, he always came back. And it was the strangest thing to suddenly have another life to worry about besides his own that Levi was reminded of his old pod and the pups he had once played with.

He wondered what had become of them. Levi wondered who protected them now.

Looking at the happy face of a currently distracted Eren, Levi found that the brunet reminded him a lot of those pups from his old pod. This mermaid was older, far more capable than those tiny, fragile lives had been. Eren still came crying to his peers like a pup when he was upset or hungry or mistreated, although that was more endearing to Levi than inconvenient. There would not be a day when the raven would not be happy to hold Eren through his fears and sorrows or go out and bring him food. Levi would never tire of caring for this little creature. And yet Levi worried about this mermaid in much the same way that he had worried about his podmates. Eren was just as wary of deep water as any young pup was and Levi had assumed during their first encounters that even this adult mermaid could not swim. Or if he could, then he was not very confident in his ability.

Levi would have to rectify that once they were mated. Where they would be headed, it would be very beneficial for the mermaid to be able to swim.

For the moment that was okay as Levi could swim well enough for the both of them, but Eren would need to learn sooner or later. A fear of water and a lack of ability to swim would not help the brunet much once they finally got to Levi’s home territory.

He reached for Eren again, hands above his head and hovering above the grass, fingers outstretched. Levi called to his mermaid with the low sound, deep vibrations thrumming in his chest.

The brunet’s attention returned to the raven then and Eren yapped at him, loud and happy. His ears flicked back and then forward as Eren listened to Levi’s crooning. It was a homey sound. It made the brunet feel giddy, dropping his chest low to the ground in a playful gesture and wiggling his rear. All Levi had to do was curl his fingers in invitation to summon the excitable little mer; Eren came bounding over to stop by the raven’s head and lick his face. Sniffing briefly at his mouth, Eren squeaked at the dark tongue that snaked out to wet the tip of his nose. Levi chortled at him, an amused rumble building in his throat while Eren shook his head and pawed his face in surprise at the sneaky attack. The brunet snuffled and let out a series of yaps, trying to provoke Levi into opening his mouth again to get his vengeance.

Careful hands cradled the mermaid’s sides, knuckles grazing Eren’s skin with reverence, identifying the subtle ridges of ribs while the mermaid mock-growled at his mouth. Still trying to tempt his tongue back out, making a game of it as he gave meaningless little growls over grinning teeth. Levi licked him twice more, earning surprised ‘eeps’ from the mermaid. Eren wasn’t giving up, fussing over the raven and even trying to pry his mouth open with surprisingly gentle fingers.

Levi nipped at him, snapping his teeth when the brunet prodded one of his longer fangs while his mouth had been open. Eren took it in stride, hissing at the merman to chide him for his behaviour, ears flattening against his skull with the sound.

It was an odd outburst for a mermaid – most would be cowed by even this, such a small act of dominance. Yet here Eren sat, bristling and frowning at the raven for daring to try to bite him even if Levi would never have set his teeth to the mermaid without his explicit consent.

Not that Eren knew that.

Grey eyes blinked up at the stern display and Levi clucked a sound of apology. Satisfied with the sound of penance, Eren’s bristling eased off to a lingering irritation.

The brunet ducked down to lick at Levi’s mouth, an exasperated thrumming starting in his chest. He whimpered, nuzzling in silent plea, and finally Levi relented. His mouth opened under Eren’s pleading tongue and the merman surged upward, pushing his own tongue past the mermaid’s lips that parted to let out a surprised sound. Levi hooked an arm over the brunet’s shoulders to keep him from retreating in his shock. His dark tongue delved into the soft wetness of Eren’s mouth, searching out little nooks and crannies, tracing over the blunted tips of pointed teeth. Mermaid teeth weren’t meant for ripping and tearing into prey, unlike the sharper teeth that lined a merman’s mouth. That was good; it meant that Levi didn’t have to be as cautious in his exploration, able to press and run his tongue along the whites of Eren’s canines.

Eren didn’t taste of all that much, just warmth and a faint, barely-there sweetness. The little mer had gone quite still under Levi’s assault, letting the raven do what he willed and only tracing hesitant strokes with his own tongue against the merman’s.

When Levi drew back he only shifted his attention from Eren’s mouth to his neck, guiding the brunet’s chin up to mouth along and over his Adam’s apple. Guiding hands cupped the backs of Eren’s thighs, giving gentle tugs to coax the mermaid to move and crawl over him. The brunet voiced his confusion with a few whimpers. He followed Levi’s silent instructions, though, and allowed himself to be guided over the raven.

Eren clucked unhappily as he was tugged at and pushed along Levi’s body, clearly curious as to what the raven was trying to achieve. It was obvious when Levi wanted him to stop; a pressure on the small of his back guided Eren to lower onto the merman. The raven clicked his approval as Eren settled cautiously onto his belly, knees folded and tucked up against Levi’s sides.

Eren frowned, facing Levi’s tail, and he wondered what his mate was up to. He was comforted somewhat by the contact of their bellies pressing together, a feeling of safety rising in his chest.

Levi worried him with low, throaty sounds back behind him. The raven didn’t sound displeased or even threatening. Instead Eren was made suspicious by the noises of approval he heard.

When something wet flicked at his rear, Eren let out a pitching squeak and jerked forwards. A deep purr started in the raven’s chest and he curled his arms about the mermaid’s thighs to prevent his from getting too far. It was a test and when Eren settled again, albeit warily, Levi brought one hand away from where it had been caging the mermaid’s leg. He curled his fingers inwards to tuck away his claws as best he could, bringing his hand up to rub against the little opening that blushed under his scrutiny.

Levi would not take Eren here, but he was not above testing for signs that his little mate was receptive. Eren’s scent told the merman that he was ripe and ready to be bred, but the little creature needed to get an idea, a taste for true mating instinct.

Carefully, Levi grazed the backs of his curled fingers against Eren’s entrance, feeling the mermaid jolt at the touch. Presumably no one had ever touched him here before. Eren yelped, the sound too soft to have been pained. Eren was surprised, that was all, at the feeling of Levi’s knuckles working against his opening with gentle pressure.

Levi’s purring increased to encourage his mate and ease his worry. Removing his hand, the raven craned his neck and wetted the area with his tongue to let the mermaid’s body know that he was interested. Eren’s flesh tensed beneath his tongue but Levi did not relent until the mermaid relaxed, laving the sensitive skin with slow, possessive licks. Leaving his saliva to dry there would hopefully begin to awaken Eren’s mating drive and ward off any other mermen that might come into contact with the brunet.

Even if the only other mermen around were familiar to the raven, Levi was taking no chances. Some distance away, Farlan was trying to impress the feisty little redheaded mer. She didn’t seem to be enamoured with his attempts at showing off, although the mermaid did seem thoroughly amused at Farlan’s sulking when some of his more direct advances earned him a faceful of her claws. Levi watched the other merman reel back and paw at his face, finding no blood for the mermaid had not attacked with much intent other than to make him back off, and the redhead looked hilariously smug where she sat up on the shore.

Levi shook his head at them. He had absolutely nothing to worry about where they were concerned; those two larrikins were practically made for each other. Even so, the raven-haired merman’s instincts were soothed at being able to leave traces of his scent on such an intimate part of his mate.

Speaking of which, the brunet was beginning to fuss. Eren had been remarkably well-behaved while Levi had inspected him, putting forth playful requests to be granted access to this intimate part of the mermaid – somewhere where Eren would not be familiar with being touched. The brunet could have acted up, could have kicked Levi in the face and scrambled away. Instead he had waited, letting Levi know that he was receptive, even if the little mer was not quite ready to be mated.

That was okay; Levi would help him with getting to the final stage.

Eren worried, thighs squirming where they were pressed tight against the raven’s sides, and Levi didn’t keep him there any longer. He didn’t want his little mate getting too worked up with company nearby knowing that even this was probably pushing boundaries. Levi let his arms fall to his sides, even clicking permission for the brunet to move.

And move Eren did. With an agitated whine, the brunet crawled off of the merman’s body, but he did not go far. Eren paused within arm’s reach, snuffling warily and sitting so that his nethers were safe from any curious merman’s crafty tongue.

Levi huffed his amusement at Eren’s put-upon expression, watching the little mer raise his chin in indignation. The brunet crossed his legs and planted his hands in front of his groin, aiming an embarrassed glower at the sky.

It would appear that Levi’s mating efforts were not appreciated. Eren looked thoroughly mortified with what had just happened, going so far as to ignore the merman’s clicks of apology. Probably because Levi’s inflection was very far from apologetic. His amusement at the situation was more than clear and Eren pointedly avoided looking at him, even when Levi whistled for his attention.

Very well, then the raven saw no choice but to put Eren through something he was more familiar with.

Ignoring Levi as he was, Eren didn’t notice the merman approaching him until a clawed hand landed in the grass by his knee. An uncertain warble left the brunet but he lowered himself back onto the grass without Levi having to guide him.

The raven surprised the mermaid then, by pausing between his legs instead of crawling over him further. Levi lowered himself down, running his arms under Eren’s legs to ghost his hands up the mermaid’s sides.

Eren shivered but didn’t make a sound, watching with unmasked curiosity.

And that was all the permission that Levi needed. He made himself comfortable between tanned thighs, growling encouragements while Eren shyly spread his legs to give the raven easier access. The mermaid’s wide eyes still held traces of suspicion and Levi suspected that he wasn’t entirely forgiven for his earlier forwardness. It was all part of the courting – Levi’s instincts told him to act so he had acted. He had never been led wrong but his gut before.

Now, though, he would repent even if he knew he had done nothing strictly wrong. Dark eyes sought out the barely noticeable flush where Eren’s scales were working hard to push out scent and keep the raven close. Even in his irritation Eren still didn’t want to be separated from his mate and that was a good sign. Levi wouldn’t deny that the tactic was working. Eren’s scent was sharp, pleasantly sweet and clean, and Levi wanted to be nowhere else than where he was. The skin there flushed further under his gaze and became slick when his knuckles rubbed over the area.

Another good sign. Eren was very responsive to his mate’s touch.

Levi brought his throat down over that heated flesh, feeling Eren start to thrash at the contact before he forced himself to be still. The direct contact of the scales above their scent-secreting glands was more stimulating than contact with regular skin and the transfer of scent made Eren whine, loud and needy.

The raven rubbed his throat over Eren’s thighs, smothering the twin glands there in his scent and leaving the mermaid in a squirming mess. The huffs of happy panting filled Levi’s ears and Eren didn’t reveal a hint of his earlier embarrassment as he voiced his contentment through a loud whine. His legs shook but Eren looked relaxed when Levi looked up at the smaller mer. He purred, scenting the slick skin under his nose. Eren was sufficiently marked by Levi’s scent now. No other merman would be able to mistake that this succulent, young creature was belonged to another already.

Backing off, Levi summoned his mate to come and lie with him with a low, rumbling purr. Eren got up onto all fours, his legs still a bit shaky, and slinked his way over to collapse onto the merman’s chest. The mermaid exhaled a happy, weary sigh and relaxed. Levi figured the smaller mer would attempt to doze now, using his mate for extra warmth and sunning himself at the same time.

Levi saw no reason to deny him his rest. The little mer seemed tired today, maybe even a little agitated.

The raven curled his tail up and around to press against Eren’s back, surrounding the brunet in a living barrier of protection. Eren didn’t open his eyes but he did start to purr quietly at the action. In the background, the redheaded mermaid was swinging on low-hanging tree branches, stressing out a bemused Farlan who clicked at her to be cautious.

Eren stretched out with a little whine, slumping back down again with a sigh. He was happy, and that was all Levi needed to feel his own chest swell with contentment.

 

A few hours passed. Levi had to disturb Eren’s dozing twice when he flicked water up to keep himself hydrated. The little mer was peaceful, curling against him and letting out soft, happy whimpers every so often when he shifted or stretched.

Levi entertained himself by watching Farlan’s attempts at courting the redhead, only to learn that she was far more spirited than her initial reaction to them had suggested. The energetic little mer hadn’t revealed her name yet, choosing instead to boss Farlan around and make him play along with her little games. The redhead was currently arranging sticks in the blonde merman’s hair and Levi snickered at him from across the shore.

To Farlan’s credit, he hadn’t once sighed or shown any signs that he was frustrated by the mermaid’s antics. If anything he seemed amused, grinning like a moron while the mermaid came scuttling over with twigs and little flowers.

Levi gave a snort, watching the pair with wry eyes. He had no doubt who would be the commanding one in that relationship. He also had no doubt that those two would end up a mated pair. Any mermaid that could handle Farlan’s antics would make an ideal partner to the blonde. In fact it looked like _Farlan_ would be the one having to deal with the oddities of another creature for once in his life and if that wasn’t sweet justice after all the years Levi had put up with the enthusiastic young merman than Levi didn’t know what was.

Blinking over at the two mers again, Levi chortled at the sight before him. Farlan had removed all the sticks and twigs from his hair at last, but to appease the mermaid he had stuck those sticks into the mud of the bank and arranged them into a tiny, cone-shaped structure. The redhead inspected the structure, sniffing at it for a few moments while Farlan fretted silently in the water. At last the mermaid scuttled off, leaving the blonde merman looking panicked for a moment.

Until the redhead came scrambling right back with a handful of flowers. She skidded to a stop by the cone, sticking the stems of the flowers into the tiny opening at the top, and sat back to admire their work. She gave a single, solemn nod.

Levi had never seen Farlan look so proud over something so ridiculous. He crooned happily, stilling in surprise when the mermaid responded to him by bouncing over to nuzzle one side of his face.

The dark-haired merman rolled his eyes, laying his head back down with a smirk. Those two were _definitely_ made for each other.

Levi closed his eyes and focused on the feeling of Eren’s weight against him, the little mer’s body shifting with every breath he took. The raven was happy to remain there as long as Eren wanted, noting that the brunet was actually asleep at this point. Levi did grimace, though, at the sensation of the skin around his gills becoming dry.

He uncurled his tail, letting the end of it hang into the lake to soak up water. For more immediate relief the merman brought a hand to his mouth and licked the backs of his fingers, smearing saliva over the drying skin with his knuckles so as not to damage the delicate flesh. He repeated the action for the other side and it helped a bit. The saliva would dry again quickly, but Levi hoped to be able to draw in enough moisture through his tail to rehydrate his skin.

The merman flicked his gills open briefly, trying to reseal the slits with the added moisture to his recently-wetted skin. Upon opening the airways, however, Levi picked up a series of odd scents.

He raised his head quickly, pushing up onto one elbow and accidentally waking Eren in the process. The jostled mer grumbled a protest, stretching out with a yawn, but Levi paid him no mind. His gills flicked back open for a few seconds, tasting faint scents that were familiar. They stirred worry in him, and a flickering of aggression.

Levi bared his teeth in a low snarl, looking out across the expanse of shore that he could see. There was no movement around them but Levi knew they were out there.

The land mers had returned.

 

_Eren’s POV_

A sudden, jerky motion roused Eren from pleasant slumber and he gave an agitated mewl. Levi didn’t answer him or move to explain, so the brunet stretched out his limbs with a sigh and went to settle back against his mate.

Levi was still, completely still, for only a few moments. Then urgent hands coaxed the mermaid to wake, to move and get up, and Levi ushered him back. The merman rolled swiftly onto his front, pulling himself along the ground with his hands and shoves of his tail as he herded Eren for a nearby log surrounded by reeds and some shrubbery, clicking low and clipped noises that hurried the mermaid along.

Wide, worried eyes shot up, searching for Isabel to see if she was feeling the same worry.

Farlan was eyeing the surrounds, his eyes narrowed and wary. Levi’s worry must have tipped him off.

Eren found Isabel sitting some metres from the shore, sniffing at the air with concern. She yipped out a soft, questioning sound and it was Eren who answered. Poor Isabel was anxious at the mermen’s odd behaviour and she was itching to flee. Eren could see it in the way she edged away from the water more and more, fidgeting. He yapped over at her, telling her to go. Get back to home pond and the pod.

She would be safe there and if there was true danger then someone had to warn the pod. Isabel to make a start on that by letting them know that the mermen in the lake were concerned.

That couldn’t be a good sign. If creatures as capable as them were worried, whatever was coming couldn’t be good.

Issy whimpered, wanting to know if Eren would come with her. He yapped again for her to go on ahead.

Eren wanted to wait and find out what the situation was. If it was bad, then he could flee back to the pod and warn them of incoming danger. They would be ready and willing to flee for a safer location if two warnings came their way.

Issy clicked a hasty farewell and dashed off into the forest, bolting for home pond.

Knowing that she was heading back to safety allowed Eren to feel some relief and he allowed Levi to hunt him over to the log. It rested against a rocky area, probably where a larger boulder had fallen down from one of the mountains and shattered into smaller fragments, and the log was at enough of an angle from the ground that it left a hiding spot between the wood and the grass. The brunet scurried beneath the moss covered timber, turning himself around to peer back out at Levi.

The merman was already looking away, out across the lake, and his nostrils flared to scent the air. He gave a worried thrum, turning back to the mermaid taking shelter under the log.

Eren warbled at him, the sound meant to encourage, but it didn’t seem to ease any of the raven’s worry. With a few, sharp clicks to remain where he was, Levi ducked down to butt his head against the brunet’s before he turned and moved away, hauling himself over the ground with impressive speed.

Within moments the raven reached the water, slithered over the bank and back into the waters of the lake. Levi surfaced for a moment, barking at Farlan who answered in kind, and they dove together, disappearing with one last flash of scaly tails.

And then Eren was alone, tucked away in his little shelter. He waited in the quiet, sniffing occasionally to look for signs of danger or threatening scents. The only strange smell he could detect was unfamiliar to him and didn’t speak directly to his instincts to flee so he thought nothing off it.

Perhaps another pod of mermaids was passing by and it had riled the mermen enough to investigate? There were certainly enough scents about to back up the theory.

And then…what…what was that sound?

It was distant…but getting louder. A kind of whipping noise, loud and coming from…above?

The noise grew and grew and Eren flattened himself against the ground as best he could, hiding within the longer grass and reeds that surrounded the log he lay beneath. The sound was impossibly loud now and it made Eren want to run. It sounded too close, coming from somewhere high. A shadow passed overhead, the dark shape of it flying over the grass as it moved over Eren’s hiding spot and onwards. Then the shadow paused, the noise louder than ever, and the shape began to grow smaller. Like a bird coming to land, its shadowy impression becoming less and less the closer to the ground it got. This was similar, only what Eren eventually saw was like no bird he had ever seen.

It was big and dark, black like Levi’s hair with white patterns along one side. At the very top were things moving so rapidly that they were a blur and Eren felt like they had to be the source of the dreadful noise. In this thing’s clutches was a great object that was getting lower and lower to the ground until slight vibrations confirmed that the object had touched down. There was a harsh, clicking sound, and slowly little arms, or feet perhaps, opened up and released a grip on the object that Eren now realised it had been carrying. The thing had come in fast enough but it was somewhat slower getting back into the sky and Eren waited, arms wrapped about his head to try and drown out the racket, breathing fast and hard in fright…until the dreadful beast moved far enough away that the mermaid could no longer hear its dreadful roaring.

Eren huddled in a tight curl of limbs for a while longer, trembling as adrenaline coursed through him. He thought about calling for Levi but the raven was probably nowhere near him.

It would be okay, Eren thought. He was safe in his little hiding spot.

A loud thunk sounded and the mermaid tensed further. He didn’t make a sound, though, listening intently for more noises. His ears twitched up and away from where they had been pressed against his head during the louder commotion. Now they swivelled forward, straining to pick up any noise that would give away the presence of another creature nearby.

Another thudding sound reached the mermaid’s ears, loud enough to make him wince. Something else mingled with the thunking sounds that were becoming more and more frequent but Eren couldn’t figure out what it was. It sounded like…almost growling, only far too quiet to have been the same thing causing the muted crashing sounds.

Eren uncurled himself from his tight huddle, blinking and trying to peer through the long grass that hid him. It did its job well, though, for the brunet couldn’t see much at all through the greenery. His eyes picked out the top of something bluish and…solid-looking.

The mermaid sniffed at the air, huffing when he was unable to pick up much. He shuffled his feet, craning his neck.

He could wait for Levi to come back and get the raven to figure out what was going on out there. But Eren had no idea how long Levi and Farlan would be out patrolling for threats. If they actually found one, they’d be away even longer.

What if Eren was stuck under his log shelter until dark? What if he had to spend the night there?

That made up the mermaid’s mind and he stretched out, shuffling and crawling his way out from underneath the log with his belly to the ground. Once free, he straightened and sat up, shaking himself off and checking his skin for grass stains. There were a few and Eren went to preen himself quickly.

He never got the chance.

Something moved in his periphery and the mermaid’s eyes snapped up, his head whipping round to find the source of the movement.

What he saw was very puzzling indeed.

Eren froze, eyes darting around to take in pale skin, a tail, claws, and eerily pale eyes. It gazed back, unmoving, unblinking. Eren couldn’t stop staring at his finding; a tailed creature floating above the shore.

A merman? It had to be, the creature’s form was identical to what Eren had seen of Levi and Farlan.  Scales, pale and a kind of…murky shade. They had a milky tinge to them, sickly like he hadn’t eaten properly in days, or longer. Eren had never seen such a colour before.

Perhaps this was a merman from much colder waters and that kind of colouring was normal where he came from.

But…how was he hovering above land like that? Eren ducked down low and then stretched up a little but no, it wasn’t a trick of the light. The merman was above the land, as comfortable as most would be in water.

Why did he not move?

The merman was surrounded by some sort of aura…that solid-looking thing that Eren had seen the strange and noisy beast of the sky set down. It encased the strange mer, apparently allowing him to hover like he was. Almost as if he were flying.

Eren squinted for a moment before feeling his eyes go wide as the mermaid struggled to comprehend the phenomenon. It was unlike anything he could have thought up by himself. A merman flying? Not so much flying, really, but hovering there above the grass. How was he doing that?

With a startled yap, Eren called out to the strange mer. He rose up onto his knees, stretching and craning his neck to try and see more while he waited for a response. None came and the merman still hadn’t moved. The only part of him that wasn’t deathly still was his tail – the murky coloured scales like muddy water churned to foam. It rolled back and forth only as fast as was necessary to keep the merman from sinking down to the bottom of the…the what?

What was it that was keeping him there?

Eren noticed edges of the shape surrounding the merman, but it was all clear like air, like water. So the aura had form? Was it an object, then?

The mermaid wanted to find out. He itched to know, to understand, and that was probably what drove him forward.

Ignoring the wide-eyed stare that he was receiving in return, Eren dropped back down onto his hands and knees and inched forwards, sniffing at the air for answers. He found none, shifting up into a better crouch and creeping through the reeds, right up to the grassy area where the strange merman waited.

Eren hesitated, fixing wary eyes on the merman who remain hovering carefully. Its eye remained unblinking, tail moving back and forth slowly. It didn’t try to move, run or charge at him.

No immediate danger. Eren breathed out a relieved sigh.

The merman’s hesitation was odd though. Was he tired? Crippled in some way?

Eren asked, chittering at the mer, and waited.

Still nothing, not even a twitch. The brunet bristled at being ignored, for that was how he interpreted the lack of response. Eren took a few breaths, calming himself. Maybe there was something wrong with this merman.

Were his ears damaged? Maybe he was injured in some way and could not speak?

Eren moved forward again, padding up to the mer. He moved slower now that he could take in just how big this merman was. His tail was enormous, longer than even Levi’s, but where the raven’s tail held beauty and grace this one was ghastly. Murky colours, darker scales here and there that suggested new growth that didn’t match the majority of the scales – the merman must have lost a few scales to some kind of injury.

He made for a frightening sight, especially the frozen, wide-eyed gaze that unsettled Eren the longer he looked at it. The stranger’s eyes, a blue so pale it was hard to tell the colour from a distance, were unmoving. His lids, the second set meant for underwater use, blinked once. The pupils were black dots, tiny amidst the pools of milky blue, and Eren wondered why the merman didn’t squint. Keeping his eyes so wide open had to be irritating and it was clearly more light than he was used to.

Could…could this merman even see Eren at all?

The brunet hesitated, swallowing down a nervous whimper, and watched for any signs that he should be fleeing.

The fact that this merman had barely moved at all was the first sign that something was off about the whole situation. He hadn’t done anything awful yet, so Eren gave the odd situation a chance.

Eren padded even closer and almost gave a shriek of alarm when he saw another face in front of him suddenly. The frightened sound died in his throat, however, when he recognised the features that stared back at him with an expression to match his own. The merman still had not moved; it was Eren’s face there, looking right back at him with the same, wide-eyed stare. Eren watched his face shift into befuddlement and he yapped a sound at the image, watching it mirror his actions like water.

Maybe…maybe that was it? Was this water then?

The brunet had never seen it behave in this way before and frankly it was unsettling. Needing to satisfy his curiosity, the brunet inched nearer, pausing right in front of the odd, shiny surface. It seemed to move and shift, like water did, but when Eren reached out and placed a tentative hand on the surface he found it to be cold and stiff, unmoving under his touch. The movement was behind it, then.

What the hell was this thing?

Eren squeaked as he realised something of more importance. If he could not breach this barrier…then perhaps the merman inside could not either.

Was he trapped, then?

The brunet planned on asking but the thought was shocked from his mind when the surface under his palm jolted violently. A panicked yelp left the mermaid and he threw himself backwards, scurrying behind the nearest log at the edge of the grassy area. Once safe, he peered back at the odd, clear structure and frowned.

The merman had finally moved, it seemed, and he had done so to charge at Eren. Or perhaps not. For all the brunet knew, this merman could have been trying to escape the clear prison that held him captive, clearly against his will if the blonde’s sudden thrashing was any indication.

Eren’s heart raced in his chest from the fright he had just received and he barked an irritated sound at the merman, watching it throwing its weight around behind the clear surface that wobbled and shook under the force. The merman made a valiant effort at escaping but no matter how hard he tried he couldn’t get up enough speed. The surface refused to budge and the mer inside bellowed its anger. Eren was startled when he found that he could hear the sound, muted as it was, and his first thought was that if this mer could shout in rage then maybe it could also speak?

It would be worth a try going back to ask. Maybe the merman hadn’t heard Eren the first few times due to the barrier? The merman’s own voice sounded quiet to Eren’s ears, so maybe if he was just a bit louder they could get somewhere.

He chirped out a greeting to see what would happen.

The merman threw himself at the mermaid with another muffled noise of rage, slamming into the seemingly invisible barrier that held him prisoner.

Eren jumped back in fright, emitting a worried warble. The merman continued his tantrum, rolling and tumbling about within his portable water trap.

He wasn’t listening, wasn’t even trying to communicate, and the mermaid felt himself bristle at the barbaric display. This stranger completely disregarded any sort of social protocols. Eren had been completely courteous up until that point.

That clearly wasn’t working. Eren would just have to change tactics.

He reached up with a hand, touching his palm to the glass.

The response was immediate. The merman thrashed, vocalising what could only be anger. His lunging became even more violent and Eren wondered how he hadn’t broken any bones.

The mermaid frowned, feeling anger flash through his insides. This merman _would_ pay attention to him. Eren would make sure of it. He raised his hand again, curled it into a fist, and beat it against the cold surface with a loud bark of annoyance.

He was surprised when the merman’s tantrum ceased. The thrashing slowed almost immediately and the merman still. When the bubbles dissipated Eren found himself being observed by suspicious blue orbs from the back of the enclosed barrier. Well where there were bubbles, there was water – that confirmed that suspicion. Eren nodded to himself, pleased that he was finally able to command this thing’s attention, and he got to work now that the merman was quiet. He clicked twice, the sounds ending on a whistle, requesting for the merman to be cooperative.

He had no idea whether or not he got his message across, but when the merman did not move or roar again, the mermaid figured it was as good as things could get.

Eren ducked low and stretched up as high as he could reach with the barrier under his hands to support and balance him, searching for weak spots or possible openings. He found none, flopped back to the grass with a hiss of frustration.

No creature should be left trapped like this and the mermaid was determined to find a way to help this merman escape. Even if that task was proving difficult. And unnerving.

Emotionless eyes watched him all the while, pallid orbs darting around, taking in details. This close the merman’s eyes moved quite a lot and Eren wondered if he had been correct in his earlier assumption that this creature had poor eyesight. Up closer as Eren was now, prodding and pawing at the cold barrier, the pale-haired mer seemed very interested in his every move.

Eren knew he was being appraised, felt somewhat anxious at the thought. This creature’s gaze did not seem friendly, but he made no more aggressive acts. It was a very confusing situation.

The little mer’s instincts rankled at the sudden scent in the air – a foreign dominance that was not his mate. With a start Eren realised that he could smell another merman. He could smell _this_ merman.

Eren did not like what his nose was telling him. The pale-haired merman was not a match for him, not at all. Eren’s instincts recoiled at the smell of him and for a few moments the brunet hesitated, shaking as he fought not to flee.

He had to help, had to get this creature – his kin – out of confinement. After that he could run all he wanted and wait for Levi to come looking for him. Until then, he would stay.

The mermaid shook himself, regaining his nerve, and looked about for something, anything, that could help him.

His eyes landed on a pile of rocks nestled around the larger shards of boulder that the log and his former hiding place rested against. Those would do. The mermaid was scampering over to take a closer look at the rocks, intending to search for one that he could use as a tool, when a loud thunk sounded behind him again.

The merman was ramming himself against the barrier once more, probably alarmed at the mermaid’s sudden retreat. Eren turned with the intention to click a few reassurances the merman’s way, but even as he turned he saw the shape encasing the newcomer tipping. That last crash had sent it toppling over, set on uneven ground, and Eren let out a panicked sound at the whole thing went down, landing on its side with another loud noise.

Inside, the merman was still. Eren feared the worst, hurrying to find something to free his kin with.

Eren picked up a stone that was almost too heavy for him to hold in one hand and lugged it back to the casing. He noticed immediately upon arriving by it that there was a series of small openings in what had once been the top of the odd structure. Little circles were open; that must have been how the mermaid had been able to smell the merman’s scent earlier.

Eren knew the little circular openings were not part of the barrier.

He knew this because liquid was rushing out of the openings and splashing onto the grass, onto Eren when he settled by them. There had been water inside this odd prison after all. The mermaid didn’t have time to think about that, however, as there was a more pressing thought on his mind.

If there was water inside, then this merman was just like all the others after all. He hadn’t been flying or hovering – he’d been swimming this whole time.

But if the water was now coming out of the casing…then eventually there would be none left. A merman with no access to water was a merman who would soon be dead. That much Eren knew. Levi was always remaining close to water, flicking it up onto him to keep himself from becoming dry.

The danger that this merman was in had become urgent and Eren didn’t waste another moment.

He leaned in close to the where the openings were and clicked a few sounds, trying his best to assure the merman inside that he wasn’t trying to hurt him. He had to, considering his next action.

The mermaid took a breath before clutching the heavy stone he had brought with both hands. Eren raised the rock high above his head, bringing it down against the clear surface with a grunt. It clacked against the barrier with a loud thunk.

The merman flinched and bared his teeth in a hiss.

Eren ignored him, focusing instead on what his effort had left behind. Little scrapes and marks remained where Eren had struck the barrier. The mermaid could see those marks plain as day.

There was definitely a physical force there keeping this merman trapped. Intangible things could not be left with impressions of physical objects. If this thing could be marked, it could be broken. Eren was sure of this. Although maybe it would be easier to break this barrier if he didn’t use the flat side of the stone. The mermaid turned the rock around in his hands, aiming the most prominent corner at the barrier this time, and he raised the stone again.

Brought it down, felt the force of it shake in his arms, pulled back, noticed a little chip.

Success! Eren yipped in triumph at even this small progress and his enthusiasm seemed to stir some kind of realisation in the merman. This odd little creature was trying to get him out of there.

Eren jumped, startled, when the merman slammed into the barrier again, this time deliberately aiming for where the mermaid was striking at the surface in an attempt to weaken it, to break through. It was frightening to stay put while such force was thrown against the casing again and again but Eren forced himself to stay put and keep beating at the chipped area.

A crack rang out and if Eren had blinked he would have missed the fractures that appeared on the clear surface suddenly.

It must be weakened by this point, he thought. This was it. This was their chance. Eren raised up the rock again and brought it down against the barrier with all his might as the blonde threw himself at the same spot.

The next moment passed in a blur, frightening images and sounds that would stay with the mermaid for years and years. Eren heard the shattering noise as the barrier finally gave way. Success! No victory, however, as a rush of water spilled out violently. It crashed into him with some force, upsetting Eren’s balance. He dropped the stone. Along with the rushing water came something heavier.

It slammed into the mermaid, knocking the wind out of him. His balance was gone and Eren tumbled, getting knocked back onto the grass. Immediately a stinging pain bloomed in several places as the mermaid’s limbs scrabbled for purchase.

He found none.

Gravity shifted then and Eren had just enough time to realise what was happening before his body splashed into the cold water of the lake.

Cold. Pain.

_Help_.

His eyes squeezed shut in panic and the mermaid managed to get out half of a frightened cry before his head went under. That chilly water was all around him now, swallowing all sounds of alarm and cries for help.

Shock turned immediately to fear so strong that the little mer shook with it. Eren’s limbs felt stiff, from the shock or maybe the cold. He didn’t know which. The mermaid forced his legs to kick, flailing and pushing against the water with his arms. He had to get back up, up to the surface.

He got his nose out of the water, jerking his head up and coughing lake water up where he had gotten it in his mouth. He gasped for breath, throat aching, eyes watering and wet lashes clumped together. The brunet clawed for the bank. It was close, close enough that if he could just paddle there he might be able to grab hold of something-

The thought was lost as something heavy smacked into his side with a thwump, sending Eren back down under the surface with the force of the impact. It hurt – Eren’s side protested and he let out a cry of pain before he could help himself, losing precious air in the process.

His heart sank as he realised he had been pushed further from the shore by the thrashing merman’s tail. It had been what struck him, by accident seeing as the strange mer made no other move to attack him. He was still too caught up in his own panicked thrashing – blinded by churning dirt and bubbles.

Eren kicked his legs again but his limbs were already tiring. They stung…that’s right, what was that pain the mermaid could feel?

The wild thrashing in the water beside him did not cease but Eren couldn’t focus on that, not when he blinked his eyes open and saw blurry splotches of red.

Red? Red liquid. _Blood_. He was bleeding.

There were stinging gashes on his legs and arms, leaking more of the ruby droplets into the water around them. It was only a matter of time until the merman smelled it.

Eren was in pain, he had wounds seemingly out of nowhere – gained after that strange, clear casing had shattered – and his body was tiring quickly.

More importantly he was sinking down further away from the surface with every passing moment. The light above was the only real indicator of direction, other than the slow tug of gravity that pulled Eren down, down further. Would he ever reach the bottom? What would he find there? Would he even be alive by the time he reached the lakebed?

Eren sobbed, losing more air with the sound, and felt his body growing numb. It was hard to move, so Eren didn’t. His vision began to fade, black spots appearing from nowhere.

The mermaid wasn’t sure how far he was from the surface now. The sounds of thrashing were quieter but that could have been on account of his fading consciousness.

Even in death this slow, it still hurt. Eren hurt everywhere; in his lungs, in his side where the merman’s tail had slammed into him, in his limbs that still bled from cuts that the mermaid would never know how they got there. His head ached – it even seemed to hurt just thinking.

So Eren stopped that too.

The world became silent. It was almost tranquil.

Until Eren’s world burst into pain and feeling again.

Something grabbed at him then and Eren tried to struggle, weak as the effort was. He willed his legs to move but they refused to kick out, dangling uselessly as he was towed along. It was like he weighted nothing. Whatever had hold of him was moving fast, its grip too tight. Eren wished the pain would just stop already.

Before he knew it, he was being pushed above the surface, shocked by cold air against his skin, and thrown onto the shore. His landing was rough and Eren would have keened in pain if his lungs hadn’t been filled with water.

His body acted immediately to correct that.

The brunet fell into a violent coughing fit, hacking up water in between desperate gasps for air. Eren’s limbs refused to let him get up, wobbling terribly whenever he tried to put pressure on them, so the mermaid lay trembling in the grass. He wanted to move, to get as far away from the lake as possible. All he could do was gasp and accept the ache and stinging all through his body. At least that feeling, horrible as it was, meant that he was alive.

Alive and not dead at the bottom of those murky waters.

He could breathe again, freely and without fear of swallowing water. That water had threatened to smother Eren’s very existence. His heart beat wildly in his chest, body shaking awfully from the shock. Eren’s throat burned when he breathed, when he swallowed, and he became steadily more aware of the sting in his limbs as his mind gradually stopped swimming. He moved to inspect himself but froze when he noticed the figure lying a few feet away from him.

A low and deadly sound registered in Eren’s mind at last, a snarl promising violence. The mermaid choked on his own sound of alarm, breaking down into another fit of coughing.

The brunet’s momentary panic faded the second Eren recognised the blue-grey scales and the dripping, inky hair of Levi. Not the stranger who had almost gotten Eren drowned. Levi, _mate_ , trustworthy and protective mate.

Levi who was out of the water, keeping himself between Eren and the lake, digging his claws into the dirt.

And the strange, pale-haired merman who was busy growling up a storm in the water below. He seemed to have stopped his panicked flailing, focusing now on an intimidation display and various, threatening sounds.

Levi responded in kind, although his display was more intimidating and Eren was _behind_ him. He bellowed out a response and with it his fins extended, snapping out and flushing with blood. Bluish scales turned scarlet and the raven thumped his tail on the ground with enough force for Eren to feel the vibrations. The mermaid could still see the way Levi’s jaw extended to let out the deafening roar he came back with, teeth bared in threat. The roar lasted for several, long seconds, seeming even louder with the way it echoed. No creature around the lake or in the forest would have missed that sound.

Levi, Eren decided, was terrifying. This was the monster that the elders had warned him about. These were the instincts that Eren had been suspecting Levi to be missing.

This Levi was not gentle. This Levi would kill.

While the two males snarled and tried to outdo each other in this initial show of ability, Eren turned his attention to the pain he felt. There was a lot. His side throbbed but nothing seemed to be broken. Eren was not looking forward to the bruises and the area was already tender.

There was blood on the grass. His own blood.

Eren whimpered for the Levi’s attention, seeking care, but found himself steadfastly ignored. The raven kept his focus on the threat in the water. Of course he would, given the signs of aggression and challenge that the pale-haired merman was presenting him with.

But Eren was hurting, he was scared, so he tried again with a shaky trill.

Still nothing. The mermaid whined, wanting to go to Levi, wanting to flee from this place, but he couldn’t leave his injuries uninspected. Abandoning his attempts to make Levi acknowledge him, Eren checked on the sources of his pain. Rolling onto his side with a wince, the mermaid inspected himself. He found gashes along his thighs, with the majority on the left leg where he had landed after the casing had been broken. His right leg was in better shape, with only few small scratches. His left arm and side also held more wounds than the right and the brunet wondered what had cut him? He still did not know, unless he had fallen onto the stone he had used to break the barrier. It would have caused some injury…but not this much. Maybe the shards from the ruined barrier had somehow cut him this way? Eren was not sure but he could find no other explanation.

He continued his inspection.

There was only one spot that had a wound of obvious origin – a set of four, thin scratch marks that could only be from a merman’s claws. One of the blonde’s hands had caught his hip as they had both gone tumbling over the edge of the shore. Eren realised that he couldn’t blame the other mer for that particular injury, but it still hurt. Accident or not, it had almost led to his death.

Levi seemed to know that too because he wasn’t backing down. Eren was the one who backed up, cringing as his body protested the movement the whole way and he only got a couple of metres back before giving up. The mermaid collapsed, exhausted, and settled in to clean himself up as best he could while Levi beat his tail against the ground and hissed to try and scare off the other male.

Eren sniffled, curling up behind the raven and licking away at the cuts steadily leaking scarlet. Levi had to be able to smell it. Both mermen would be able to. In fact Farlan would probably aware of it, too, eventually since Eren had bled in the water. Still, Eren had faith that Levi would succeed in his task of defending the mermaid, after all a face full of sharp teeth was scary enough. Levi was pretty scary looking anyway. Then again…that newcomer had been big. Really big.

Eren’s blood seemed to be riling him further. The pale-haired merman was showing no signs of leaving. The scent of blood was having an interesting effect on Levi, too, pushing him towards violence to the point where he wouldn’t even spare Eren a glance, too busy snapping his jaws at the rival male.

It wasn’t working. This strange merman had a death wish because he was advancing on the shore. Eren was just beginning to get somewhere with cleaning himself up when Levi began to move.

He moved backwards. Not risking a fight just yet with his mate so close and so weak.

A harsh sound left Levi’s mouth and with a start Eren realised that the growling command was meant for _him_. He whimpered in protest but Levi slapped at him with his tail.

Move. Move now.

Eren whimpered in protest but he was already forcing himself up, half dragging himself along the grass to get away from the advancing threat. His every movement hurt but he managed a shaky crawl. There was no time to wait for him to recover more.

No time to lick his wounds properly, either. Not with Levi barking for him to move, backing up with hands that pushed into the ground and a tail that coiled and slithered to shift his weight. Eren heard the growls of the other merman, the thud of hands clawing at earth, trying to haul up a body unused to being outside of the water. The mermaid was somewhat confused by the pale mer’s struggles; Levi managed to get himself onto the shore just fine.

When the newcomer was finally out of the water he was breathless, heaving in great lungfuls of air like the very act of breathing was suddenly a hundred times more taxing.

Eren worried but moved along as fast as his tired limbs could carry him. It wasn’t very fast.

The challenger closed in, hauling himself closer. Eren realised with shock that these mermen were fighting for him. Did this other merman honestly want to mate him? That didn’t make sense, Eren could smell clearly that they were not a match and he was not at all attracted to the pale mer’s colours.

A loud growl startled the mermaid out of his thoughts.

The blonde lunged and Eren wailed in alarm, but Levi moved faster. Away, however, and not to meet his rival’s attack. The raven jerked backwards, arms snatching around Eren’s middle, and in the next instant Levi pulled the mermaid close and rolled them across the grass. They tumbled right over the lake’s edge.

For the second time that day Eren was surrounded by chilly lake water, only this time it was Levi’s fault and it had been no accident.

Fear overtook the mermaid and the brunet squealed in panic, thrashing wildly, but Levi was already swimming. His tail pushed them through the water quickly, but Levi wanted to go faster still. He dived below the surface with barely more than a click of warning. Levi carried them away from the shore too fast for Eren to even think of trying to grab hold of something and the mermaid’s only real choice was to hold his breath or risk drowning.

So he forced his tired, aching limbs to obey and clung onto Levi like he was trying to squeeze the life out of him.

Eren’s fear of being drowned was lost when he was tossed up on land several terrifying moments later, also for the second time that day. The mermaid spluttered and shook water off himself, regaining his bearings and yapping loud complaints back at where the raven was treading water.

Levi wasn’t listening to him, though. He wasn’t even looking at him. He dove back under the surface and raced off.

A dark shape was barrelling through the water, heading their way.

It didn’t even get close to the shore.

Eren watched as the shadows of Levi and his new rival’s submerged figures collided. One shadow darted away immediately and the mermaid bleated in panic when he saw the billowing of blood spreading beneath the water.

Someone was hurt.

The shadow raced back, darting by several times while the other shape only thrashed. More dark clouds of red filled the water. The mermen got close enough to the surface that a tail broke through, thrashing and slapping back against the water with a loud smack. The tail was a murky colour – the stranger’s. It sent red-tinted water spraying up into the air.

The next instant was filled with a terrible noise as the two merman broke through the surface again. Eren’s eyes widened. Both mers were snarling, one growl strangled and slurping, and the other muffled. The mermaid quickly saw why.

Levi had his teeth sunken in a pale throat and he wrenched his head back, tearing away flesh. Red marked his skin, spraying out from the new wound. Levi didn’t stop there, not even flinching at the gurgled howl of pain from his enemy. A clawed hand raked up through the water, bringing a trail of scarlet. Eren assumed that those claws had been deep in the newcomer’s flesh, ripped up through the pale mer’s body if his terrible squealing was any indication. Those claws, now freed, were sent flying at the merman’s face. They struck, jammed through the soft skin of one cheek. Eren soon saw the tips of those curved claws poke out from a now-ruined eye.

The socket was left bloody, the pale mer now half blind and struggling. Levi had him in a death lock, rolling the other merman over and over again to disorient him while he sank his teeth in again and again. He tore with his hands, with his mouth, roaring loud enough to scare the birds from their perches all around the lake.

Eren had never witnessed anything like it…and he hoped he would never see such things again. The mermaid turned and scrambled away, bolting for the nearest safe place. The nearest truly safe place.

Digging his claws into rough bark, Eren scaled the nearest tree to him. Shaking hands grasped at branches, pulling Eren higher up the trunk until he found a bough strong enough to hold his weight safely. The mermaid could still hear the splashes and awful growls…mostly Levi by this point, all coming from below, but he didn’t look down to see. He didn’t want to see.

Eren edged out onto his branch and latched his arms around the trunk of the tree so that he would not fall. Little claws dug into the bark of the trunk for good measure and Eren settled as comfortably as he could. Once he was sure of his balance, the brunet risked a glance down.

The water was a mess of blood and floating bits of flesh that Levi had torn off. The mermaid began to shake, clinging to the tree even tighter.

Another shape hurtled through the water and the mermaid almost made a sound of alarm. Couldn’t quite get any sounds out.

A figure broke the surface and Eren recognised the face of Farlan contorted into an expression of rage that he’d never worn in the mermaid’s presence before. The blonde sunk his teeth into the sluggish body of the newcomer, attacking it with almost as much vehemence as Levi.

Levi, whose ears pricked up suddenly, and he stilled. The raven let his death grip on the enemy merman ease and he backed away, watching with unfocused eyes as the pale-haired mer struggled weakly in its newfound freedom. Its movements were barely more than twitches, its tail being torn into by a circling Farlan.

The raven tensed for a moment, one ear flicking to the side, and he wrenched himself out of the way in time for a huge figure to break the surface. Another head of blonde hair was seen but only for a moment, and the enormous merman closed his massive jaws over the shredded throat of the pale-haired mer.

There was a sickening crack and a slower crunching noise that was lost as the rolling body of the blonde dived, taking the lifeless corpse with him. With a last flick of golden-brown flukes, he was gone. The shadow of Farlan followed rapidly after the other merman’s disappearing form.

Levi was the only one who remained.

He treaded water, staring at the reddened surface like he wasn’t even conscious. Eren could hardly believe what he had seen, having watched the raven use every weakness against his fellow mer. Sliced gills and ripped scales, eyes gouged out and left to float in the lake, ruined and jelly-like. Levi had not hesitated to go for soft and tender areas. Eren’s mate was clever.

He was deadly.

Eren would never doubt that fact again. He shivered up in his perch, his body tired and his mind wanting nothing more than to sleep.

A splash sounded and Eren wanted to escape from the sounds of water for a long time. He couldn’t stand the sight of the red-stained lake.

Another splash sounded and Eren looked around as far as he could manage to find who he knew it must be. Levi. He looked so worried, finally having snapped out of his daze. The raven’s eyes were wide and full of worry. No…not worry. It was stronger than that. Levi looked afraid. He looked terrified.

When the raven let out a pitching bark, Eren understood why.

He couldn’t find Eren. Levi had not seen the mermaid scale the tree and was fretting.

Levi’s panicked bark reached Eren before the mermaid spotted him and the sound made Eren ache in his chest. He yipped in answer without a moment’s hesitation, hating to hear Levi sounding so worried.

Levi was deadly and terrifying, yes, but he was still Eren’s chosen mate. Even the frightening display that the mermaid had just witnessed could not override the instincts that were tying them together.

Finally Eren could see his mate swimming around by the lake’s edge, scouring the shore with a fierce determination in his eyes. Levi was looking around the shore, still not considering to search the trees with his gaze. The mermaid didn’t blame him for his ignorance – Eren had not demonstrated this little skill to Levi before. It had not seemed important. In the face of danger and terror, however, the trees had seemed like the safest place to be. It was easy to get high up, out of any merman’s reach. Eren was sure that even if his tailed kin could jump from the water, he could still climb high enough to escape their grasping claws.

The raven’s grey eyes were wide and fearful and he called to Eren again, this time with a hint of confusion. He had clearly heard the mermaid’s answer to his call and it had come from where he was searching.

But there was no Eren to be seen.

If the mermaid hadn’t still been recovering from his fright, it might have been funny to see Levi so thoroughly fooled by his hiding place. But now was not the time for teasing. Instead Eren provided answering yips until Levi spotted him, a rare look of complete surprise taking over his face.

Somehow little Eren had got himself up a tree. Levi hadn’t even seen that _happen_ but he hoped that the mermaid could get himself down again. He had been so worried when he couldn’t see Eren up on the shore and for a moment…

…for a terrifying moment Levi had feared that he’d lost the mermaid. He had felt the same fear when he’d seen Eren’s body drifting slowly down in the water earlier, unmoving, not struggling to get back up to the surface. The fear that had taken hold of Levi then was like nothing he had ever felt and it controlled him completely for some moments. He had never moved so fast as he had to snatch Eren’s seemingly-lifeless body from the lake. He’d not been able to hold the little mer gently, either, gripping him like he would never hold the mermaid again. Throwing the brunet’s body out of the water and up onto dry land.

Hearing the mermaid coughing suddenly, wretched and miserable as the sounds had been, had been the most beautiful sounds the merman could recall hearing. They were pained and despondent but they had meant that Eren was _alive_.

Even now Levi still felt lingering traces of that fear, but Eren was alright. He was shaking and clinging desperately to the tree’s trunk but he was alright. He was safe.

Eyeing the branches, the raven tried to think of some way to coax the little mer down. Levi’s wanted to remain in the water. His body still thrummed with adrenaline, although the majority of his more aggressive instincts were soothed knowing that the threat to Eren, the threat to his claim on Eren, would not be bothering them anymore. That lifeless, broken body was no doubt at the bottom of the lake by now, towed effortlessly by Erwin’s colossal jaws.

Even the sulking blonde had not been able to fight down the instincts that told him to emerge, to face off with the new arrival that threatened to interrupt their courting efforts.

Farlan, too, had viciously defended his right to the little redheaded mer that he had his sights on.

Levi was desperately grateful to his kin for their help, even if he knew that he would have finished the stranger off himself without any trouble. But it was an odd and probably essential kind of bonding for the mermen of the lake to make that kill together. As a group, as a unit, they had defended their territory.

Now the lake would be peaceful again. All the mermaids who came wandering past would not have to fear a sudden attack from that feral merman.

His corpse would make a nice bait for the fish of the lake. But no, Levi would go and find the merman’s body later and haul it free of the waters. If it rotted down there, they would all have to deal with the poisoning effect.

Best to avoid it.

So Levi turned back to the tree where his little mate was hiding, his body shaking. Eren had had enough excitement for one day.

Shudders wracked the brunet’s frame as he gripped the tree trunk like it was his sole saviour. The mermaid had finally given in to helpless bawling, letting his fear and anxiety from the day escape him in shaky, wet sobs that Levi felt almost like a physical pain in his chest.

He could do nothing to help or comfort the little mer while he was up there, though, and Levi tried to think of a way to bring the mermaid to him. He couldn’t climb up after him, obviously he would never be able to get up into those branches. He couldn’t just wait around and let Eren cry himself into exhaustion. A fall from that height would bring terrible injury to the mermaid and Levi knew no treatment for badly broken bones. Fractures could heal, but bad breaks were often fatal.

Levi could not lose Eren to that. Not after all that they had just been through.

The mermaid was injured already, too. Levi remembered the scent of blood in the water, in the air, long before he had set his teeth and claws against that pale-haired merman. Eren had been hurt. He had been bleeding. The scent of his wounds still hung in the air, along with a thick stench of distress.

Levi needed to get him down now. But what could he do? Ask the mermaid to jump from his branch back into the lake so that Levi could assess his injuries? That would never work; the little mer was terrified after almost drowning. And deep down, Levi had a feeling that Eren knew, he _knew_ on an instinctual level, that Levi’s instincts wanted him in the water. The water was Levi’s kingdom and the mermaid would be helpless to the raven’s advances. Even if Levi would not dream of taking Eren under, not today at least, he knew that the mermaid would not trust him on that. He had tested Eren’s trust far too much today. Any more might push the limit too far.

Above him Eren wailed, holding onto the branch and crying.

The appearance of that last, enormous mer had been the deciding factor for Eren. He’d had enough of mermen for one day. Levi was calling to him, attempting to croon and soothe his miserable crying. But no, Eren refused to be tempted back near that water again today. He needed to escape, to get away from mermen and instincts and that dreadful, stained water for a while.

So Eren made up his mind. The brunet released his vice-like hold on the tree trunk and carefully began to move. He made his way from branch to branch, moving sideways rather than climbing directly down, and worked his way across from that tree to the next. Eren did not know if Levi would try to follow him but he was taking no chances. Nothing would get him to go back into those waters today. Not even the distress in his mate’s urgent cries.

Levi emitted harsh barks in a higher pitch than Eren had heard yet. Panic. Levi was watching his mate edge away from him, up high where the merman absolutely could not get near him. And it was causing Levi to panic.

Eren forced himself not to listen. He was tired. His body was exhausted. He just needed to make it safely to the ground and he would be home free. The mermaid moved to the next tree, to the next, to the next and so on until he had enough distance between himself and the lake to drop safely down to the ground.

Without the fear of being chased, that was.

Then he bolted. Eren was wincing as he did so, body objecting to the continued use, limbs still wobbly and unstable, but he took off anyway. The brunet scampered as quickly as he could with his limbs and wounds protesting, heading into the forest.

Behind him, Levi was crying out to him – long and frantic calls echoed through the forest but Eren would not go to him. Couldn’t, not with the way his being wanted to flee. There was too much going on at the lake now, too many mermen for the brunet to feel comfortable in that moment.

If Eren was to go back to Levi it would be to see him alone.

For now Eren hoped against hope that his pod would accept him back for a day or two while he recovered and licked his wounds. It was towards his pod that he ran, stumbling and crying. If he could just make it there, then he could collapse. The other mers would take care of him. They wouldn’t turn him away in such a condition.

Something snapped to Eren’s left, a stick crunching underfoot.

Under what’s foot?

Something descended on him and Eren let out a squeal as he came lurching to a stop, downed by something that had flown down over his head. He could see through it, a mesh of some sorts. It was strong, like no vines the mermaid had ever come across before, and no matter how much he thrashed he could not seem to get free.

Eren became aware of more steps, very close to him, and his frantic struggling ceased for a few moments to learn his situation.

Legs. He could see legs pacing around him, but they were not the bare ones of his kin. These were swathed in something that smelled odd to him. Inedible, undesirable. Straining to look up, Eren rolled over a little, and he found himself staring at a familiar looking form. These creatures looked…just like his kin. But their patterns were weird. Their bodies were covered.

They had him trapped.

Eren wailed at them, tried to convince them to free him, but all they did was make strange noises to each other that the mermaid could not decipher. Were they communicating? Or mocking him?

These creatures were very different from Eren’s kin.

The mermaid changed, tactics, howling out into the forest for his pod, calling desperately for their help.

It was only then that the brunet registered other cries of panic echoing through the forest. He froze, ears twitching as best they could in his confinement, and Eren’s heart felt like it might break when he heard the cries of his pod in the distance. Not answering his plea, not trying to intimidate as they rushed to save him.

They were crying in distress, in fear, just as he had been. Eren’s pod was just as helpless as he was under the assault of these land mers.

 

“Alright. Get them back to the camp. The boss will be happy with this haul. Call it in and get everything ready; we leave in three days.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From one cliffhanger to the next.
> 
> So that was a loong one. This may be the longest chapter I'v ever written. Wow. Un-beta'd at this point, too, so please forgive any typos. They will be fixed in due time.
> 
> Feedback, please <3 I'm sorry for all the intense shit up in here. I promise it gets better. Next chapter, amazing shit goes down. After some worrying shit. I promise this was the worst point for this fic, for anyone who's worrying. I didn't start this fic just to break hearts with some shitty, tragic ending. Hang in there!! <3 <3
> 
> P.S. The captive was Zeke, for all those who were wondering. That is a new development, you can thank Ghosty842 (THANK YOU!! Without your comment back there, the captive would have lived and that was waay more complicated) for that little bit of inspiration plus my anger at his character after recent manga incidents. It was going to be Reiner (cos I was hella pissed at him for things) but my hate for Zeke is pretty much unmatched. And now he dead, at least here in this au, and that's good enough for me.


	17. Stalling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I managed to get this chapter finished during my days off from intensives :D

The camp had never been more crowded, yet Hanji sat away from it all. Strangers bustled about on her periphery, carrying armloads of God knows what. Probably getting extra netting for their new guests; the team wouldn’t be leaving for another day at least. The containers for their cargo had yet to arrive. Those would be coming tomorrow.

Hanji closed her hand in a slow, tight fist and focused on the pressure there. Her eyes were trained on the gradual pink to white to whitish-yellow of her knuckles, the only distraction available without her having to get up and move. If she got up, someone else was going to become the focus of her fists. Bad, that was bad. She knew it was bad. Hanji still couldn’t breathe normally. Every exhale came out either in a rush or shook like the rest of her was shaking.

She wished that the former loss of control had been a mistake. It hadn’t felt like one.

Across the camp, several of Nile’s goons sat nursing varying injuries. One had a black eye, already swelling like a too-ripe fruit and turning a sickly variety of colours. He still managed to scowl out of the other eye. Another man was still unconscious. He’d been dragged from a steadily growing pile of his own blood that had streamed from a broken nose. Another, still, had a bandage over one eye where nails had scratched with every intention of causing harm.

It had all happened so quickly.

A whole pod of mermaids were netted to the ground, the heavy rope net restricting their movement. The whole group of them struggled, passing worried warbles back and forth. Not a single one of them was responsible for any of the injuries that the humans had suffered today.

The man with the black eye had Hanji to thank for it. The ever-gentle Mike still sat hunched over with his head in his hands after attacking one of the guards in a similar manner. He refused to move until the man he had assaulted, currently unconscious, had awoken. It wasn’t like them to lash out. Even Hanji, with all her energy and enthusiasm, wasn’t normally violent.

But they’d all come back to a camp filled with the cries of over a dozen panicked mermaids and if that hadn’t made them lose it then the first sight of the mermaid pups-

It was a blur, to be honest. An anger-tinged blur. Hanji didn’t even remember making the decision to rush the guards that had been netting the poor creatures down. She’d just seen their wide eyes and… _moved_. The red that had tinted her vision had been pure, undiluted rage. She’d moved like she had never moved in her life. There had been intent to hurt. And she’d done just that. Hanji had barrelled into one of the guards stooping over the crying mers and slammed him to the ground like a wild animal. Before she could blink there were three others flying into the fray.

And all of them were on her side.

Her team hadn’t even hesitated. And now they were all in the shit. None of them were allowed near the mermaids and Hanji could have kicked herself.

No one else would sympathise with them. The poor creatures were alone and afraid. The only comfort they had was their proximity to each other and they had all managed to huddle as close as possible regardless of physical comfort. The pups were all but buried in the middle of the pile after being encouraged there by the adults, their big eyes blinking imploringly. The poor little things didn’t have a clue what was going on, only that their pod was scared. They listened, then, when the elders encouraged them towards the middle. That was a more recent measure of protection for the youngsters. And for good reason.

Nile’s people had already made a grab for the pups. It had not gone over well.

Hanji had never seen a mermaid so angry before, not even once, and today she had seen a whole pod lose their shit. Tied down, forced to cramp in and flatten as much as they could, with every chance of being beaten by the less understanding of the guards, and yet every single mermaid there had growled up a storm.

Growled. Teeth bared, threatening like they had never appeared before. Hanji wondered if this was what happened every time these creatures encountered a threat. Could they chase of wolves like this?

Hanji had heard mermaids hiss before but this had been outright growling. Hearing the threat in all those voices could have put any merman to shame.

And speaking of mermen…

Hanji closed her eyes and swallowed with difficulty. She could still hear him.

The howling calls echoed across from the lake, through the forest. So clear, even across all that distance. Loverboy sure was loud. Poor thing hadn’t stopped howling since just before Hanji had gotten back to camp. At first it had been confusing and worrying in no small way. It was only when Hanji arrived back at the camp that she’d realised why.

Amongst the cries of panicking mermaids, there was one cry that rang out differently. Louder, for one thing. And unanswered by the other mermaids. Not just a general warble of panic. This yowl wasn’t meant for any of the pod, it was meant for ears further away than the immediate company.

Hanji told herself that she was wrong, that the jovial little mer, Loverboy’s little mer, was not the source of that sound. But she knew. Deep down she knew.

The merman would not be calling out in such clear distress if he’d had his mate with him.

Hanji let her eyes wander back over to the netted mers.

And sure enough there he was. The poor little brunet was crammed in amongst his kin, huddled over one of the smallest pups. The youngster huddled close under his temporary guardian’s chest, chittering to his littermates. By the brunet’s sides, other young mers like him were pressed in close. A little redhead pressed her side against his in an attempt to comfort, apparently understanding her podmate’s grief. The brunet cried on but he did not pull away from her.

These two must have been close, Hanji figured. Hell, all of the mermaids currently held prisoner there would be close. All of them podmates, all of them panicked and crying out.

His cries were higher pitched and shaky, but they were louder than all the other cries that his kin made. The shrill wails rose above the chitters of worry and occasional hisses of warning that came from the other mers.

Hanji wondered what his name was…this one particular mermaid. He was so young. Too young to have to deal with any of this kind of trauma. The poor little thing should be with his mate by now. Yet here he was. Here they all were. No matter how she looked at the situation, Hanji knew that it was her fault. If she had never come here...better still, if she had never joined Nile’s company. If, if, _if_. No use in wishing for a better situation. Hanji clenched her fists and dropped her head against them where her hands rested atop her knees.

This was her fault. That meant only one thing now: it was her responsibility to make things better. Somehow. But how to undo the situation?

“Hey.” She called.

That wouldn’t do. No one would hear her like that. She stood, ignoring the sight of Moblit’s head turning towards her in her periphery. She stood and moved, letting her feet carry her over to one of the guards watching over the mermaids.

“Hey.” She said again, louder, and she refused to let the stern look on the man’s face deter her.

Several of Nile’s men stood, closing in behind their apparent leader in case another incident broke out. Unnecessary. Hanji didn’t intend to damage the situation any more than she had already done.

“Miss Zoe.” The guard acknowledged. He adjusted his grip on the tranquiliser in his hands, clearly not bothered by the thought of using it to stop another human if he had to. “You can’t be over here. No after what happened.”

Hanji narrowed her eyes but otherwise her face remained impassive. She knew that for her to gain access to the mermaids once again, she would need to appear as unaffected as possible.

“I can’t sit still and waste an opportunity like this, either.” She stated, matching the stern tone that the guard had just used on her. “So you can let me work, maybe find some useful information to make your bastard of a boss happy, or you can try to make me walk away.”

Whatever expression she ended up with, it must have been spectacular. Enough to make Asshole McGee take a shuffling step back.

There was movement behind her but Hanji didn’t bother to turn. She recognised the shadow, and no one else in camp was that tall. If the look on the guard’s face was anything to go by, then she was right. Well maybe that had been what had intimidated the suddenly pale-looking guard.

So she had Mike on her side, and by the sound of footsteps the rest of her team were also on board with whatever she was planning.

Now she just had to figure out what it was that she was planning.

Shifting feet and fidgeting fingers spoke of the head guard’s anxiousness. He still set his jaw and had the gall to act superior.

“We can’t leave you alone with them.” The man managed after a brief moment’s consideration.

Damn. That was to be expected. Well at least it hadn’t been an outright ‘no’. Supervision wasn’t the worst thing in the world. She could work with that for a time. There would be plenty of time to think of something.

Hanji crossed her arms and heaved a dramatic sigh.

“Fine.” She allowed, although her tone was anything but grateful. “Just don’t get in my way or I will kick _all_ of your asses from here to kingdom come.”

The threat must have gotten across and man, these guys must have been really unsettled by her and her team’s sudden attacks earlier because they backed up faster than any calm person would.

Good. They should be wary of her. Of all the team.

This was more than just their jobs by this point. Mermaids were Hanji’s _life_ and the research of them had become important to all of her team. They weren’t about to let this go. But patience was a virtue and Hanji could be patient if it meant that she would be able to do something for the frightened huddle of creatures. She had her chance to get close to them and be able to at least check up on the poor things. She could monitor how they were doing and that was a start.

It would have to do for now.

“Miss Zoe? Are you going to-”

“Shut it.” She snapped at the man who spoke up. “Can’t a woman plan in piece? Jesus.”

But the guy had a point. She hadn’t done anything. She had to _do_ something or the guards would begin to suspect. That was okay, though; none of these goons were trained to deal with merpeople the way Hanji and her team had trained themselves. Hanji was sure she could make these fools believe that just about anything was essential to her research if she put enough bullshit into it.

But this was also a good opportunity. Hanji realised that and it would not slip by her.

“First…” Hanji hissed out a breath and ran a hand over her face. “We’re checking for injuries. I don’t give a fuck what you have to say,” she snapped as the head guard went to interject, eyeing him with enough venom that he even withered slightly under her gaze, “you ignorant assholes are the reason that these creatures are here in the first place and I’ll be damned if you get away with leaving them here to get infected and die. What would your bosses say then?”

There was a murmur amongst the guards, reluctant agreement seemingly the result that they arrived at.

Hanji raised a brow at the faces that turned to her, awaiting instruction.

“Well? Hop to it. They’ll need to be separated but for Christ’s sake do it one by one. Don’t give the poor things a heart attack.”

She watched as her instructions were carried out, moving in to help.

“And be gentle! Any rough treatment and I’ll personally drag the culprits back to the lake and watch you get torn to pieces.”

“Y-Yes, ma’am!”

 

It took a while but eventually they were able to extract the first mermaid. Hanji’s team pulled the first specimen free from the netting while the guards, useless at much else, made sure that none of the other mers either escaped or harmed the team.

“Alright, hold her still. Careful.” Hanji instructed, crouching to begin inspecting the badly shaking mermaid. “That’s good, Mike.”

It went on for all of the mers and thank God most of them only had minor injuries, superficial scratches and grazes from their less than gentle capture. Hanji cleaned even the smallest cuts, wincing at the obvious discomfort that the antiseptic solution she used had on the mermaids. They didn’t appreciate the treatment, even if it was for their own good.

One by one they were treated and returned to their netting upon which they were instantly swamped by their podmates. The smell of the antiseptic clearly offended them, but not nearly as much as the taste did when they tried to clean the substance off of one another. In the end they gave up.

By some miracle the pups seemed to have received the best treatment out of all of the mermaids and for that Hanji was grateful. She couldn’t imagine that any attempts at removing the youngsters from their pod would be successful. Not without getting forceful.

Last and probably most importantly to Hanji at least, a familiar form was dragged from the netting. This one gave more of a fight than most of his kin before him, actually managing to land some pretty nasty scratches along Mike’s arm. Not that it did him a lot of good. Mike was strong enough to get him out and as soon as he was free of the net Nanaba and Moblit rushed in to help restrain the thrashing mermaid.

Hanji watched the tiny pup that Loverboy’s mer had been protecting give tiny, angry barks in Mike’s direction. Brave little tyke, Hanji thought fondly.

Just like his guardian.

Speaking of which, Mike and the others had finally managed to get the struggling mermaid on all fours and restrained as best they could. The little thing was feisty, snapping his teeth and hissing even while his handlers leaned most of their weight against him to keep him still.

Hanji knelt down in front of him, earning a little growl in response. She smiled at the mermaid’s spirit and hummed back at him, watching his ears twitch in response and a quite adorable expression of confusion cross his features.

“We’re not going to hurt you, okay?” Hanji said.

She only hoped that her tone was enough to convince the little mer that he was safe.

“Jesus what happened to you?”

The injuries on this mermaid were…extensive. Cuts along his limbs and sides. Bruises from God knows what. These weren’t capture wounds. These had to be from…the poor thing really must have encountered their captive.

“Shit.”

“What’s wrong?” Moblit asked from somewhere behind Mike, all of them still busy keeping the mer from struggling too much.

“Glass wounds.” Hanji muttered. “Hold him as still as you can. I have to check to make sure there are no shards in any of these cuts. Sorry little guy, I’ll try to keep this brief.”

Hanji got to work, inspecting each little gash. By some miracle there were no wounds that would need stitches and the bleeding was a lot less than Hanji might have expected. The healing rate of mermaids was accelerated, it would seem.

She found no glass in any of the wounds, either, but her inspection pulled pained hisses and alarmed squawks out of the mermaid.

“It’s alright, little guy.” Hanji tried to comfort him.

She wasn’t sure if it worked or not. Cleaning the wounds and applying antiseptic was not well received by their subject and he squealed until Hanji was done. The poor thing had its head hung low, clearly exhausted, and shaking badly.

Hanji’s heart bled for him.

“I’m so sorry.”

The mermaid had no reaction to her apology. Why would he? The brunet only panted, tired from the events of a long day, the trauma of his capture, all that struggling, and now the arduous task of having to bear the added weight of his handlers.

“You poor little thing. We’ll call you Squirt, hm?” Hanji mused, rubbing firm hands on one shoulder of the young mer seeing as it was one of few places where he wouldn’t feel pain. “I think it suits you.”

“Hanji?” Nanaba’s voice pulled the brunette from her musings. “Will he be alright? Those are a lot of cuts; is there much chance of infection?”

“I don’t think so. These cuts are already healing. So long as he keeps that up, there shouldn’t be any reason to worry.”

Moblit’s head peered over Mike’s shoulder. “And what about the others?” He asked, voice low.

“What are we going to do, Hanji?” Mike joined in at last and his words, while quiet, seemed to hang in the air.

Hanji frowned at the grass and sighed. “I’m working on it.”

 

At the very least, all of the mermaids were treated for their injuries. It was a start.

They were right back under the netting, though, as soon as each inspection was over. Even Squirt, as Hanji was determined to call him, was sent back in to huddle with his kin. He seemed more at ease there amongst his pod at least. Hanji hoped that would help him to recover quickly.

But now that one task had been completed Hanji had to quickly come up with another.

“What now, Miss Zoe?” One of the guards asked her.

Damn. She had been hoping for at least a little time to think up some creative BS with which to feed the goons. But when no such bullshit came to mind, Hanji did the next best thing. She decided to run some experimentation.

“Communication.” She stated, simply and quickly.

“What?”

Ignoring the baffled question, Hanji turned to Mike, accepting a clipboard that he’d had the forethought to bring to her.

“We try and talk to them.” She reiterated. “They aren’t going anywhere for a while so we might as well get some testing done before you good for nothings cart them off to the labs.”

The man looked to her with eyes like saucers, surprise or confusion written across his face. He looked like he either hadn’t heard correctly or really hoped that he hadn’t heard correctly.

“What?” He said again.

Hanji couldn’t quite suppress the urge to roll her eyes but she did at least manage to suppress another urge that told her to grab this man by his collar and throttle him.

She took a deep breath and readjusted her glasses. “I need someone to try and establish communication between our species and theirs.”

Okay, so maybe at this point she was just trying to get a little one on one revenge with this particular goon. No one had to know about that.

“Go on.” She encouraged, although her flat tone was probably the least encouraging thing in the world right about then.

It did the trick, though; the guard knew she wasn’t kidding. With an audible gulp, he approached the net by a few steps, keeping some distance between himself and the mers.

Ridiculous. These creatures were meant to be gentle and now, thanks to human intervention, they had turned an entire pod into vicious little beasts. Hanji watched the man turn to the mermaids, opening his mouth to speak.

“Get closer.” She interrupted.

He looked suspicious now but the brunette wasn’t about to back out of her decision now. This situation was shit. There was no other way of looking at it. But she also had a rare opportunity to do some very real tests with these creatures. While she was at it, she could make herself seem less suspicious to Nile’s people and less of a threat to the mermaids.

Hopefully. That was the plan anyway.

“Why?”

“You’ve tied them up. Taken them from their home by force. Do you really think they’ll try to communicate with you if you don’t even make an effort to appear equal?”

The man tried again, closer this time, and Hanji wondered how long it would take for one of the mers to snap at him.

 

This continued throughout the remaining hours of the day. First several of the guards themselves were used to attempt to communicate with the mermaids. No such luck, though. The only thing the mermaids had to say to the people who had stolen their freedom seemed to be the mer equivalent of “fuck you very much”.

Hanji wasn’t in the least bit surprised.

After several failed attempts with said guards, Hanji tried a new direction. She used her own people to try and communicate, only this time she gave them helpful direction.

Whatever their end game would be, Hanji knew that she and her team needed to build some rapport between them and the mermaids. The advantage of having studied these creatures for years was on the team’s side; they knew a hell of a lot more of what to do than these bumbling brutes Nile called employees.

“Lower down. They won’t see you as a threat if you put yourself on their level. We already look pretty similar as species but mermaids don’t stand as often as we do. To them, we’re the weird ones.”

“That’s good, Mike. You’re pretty big to come across as a mermaid but I think it’s working. Don’t make too much eye contact, unless they’re the ones trying to gain it.”

“It doesn’t matter what you say, per se. But tone is important. Talk like you would if you were trying to comfort a child; I think that would be the best way to get our message across.”

And little by little it seemed to work. The mermaids weren’t growling, at least not at the people that treated them well. They even let Nanaba sit next to them without lashing out, making chittering noises at her that she wasn’t sure how to respond to. The blonde just kept up her friendly tones.

At times even the friendliest behaviours couldn’t stir much in the trapped creatures.

“Hello.” Hanji tried with some of the mers around the back of the net.

She watched for some sort of reaction but it was pretty much unanimous disinterest across the board with these mers. They were despondent, hungry, and wanted nothing more than to be set free. Hanji couldn’t exactly be disappointed with their lack of response.

Apart from that she supposed that their languages were very different. Mermaid greetings could be any number of sounds depending on any number of factors, like how well mers knew each other or what they were feeling at the time or even their own, personal temperament. Hanji had no way of knowing how she should even attempt to address these creatures. Tone was obvious, but tone was very specific in mer-talk. What if she messed up or got the inflection wrong? She could just as easily offend them as greet them.

At least they weren’t aggressive towards the team’s attempts.

Next Hanji tried audio recordings. Sounds of other animals, birdsong, and some recordings of mermaid sounds. They seemed confused at the latter, not recognising the voices in Hanji’s recordings as these were from another pod. Being able to hear other mers but being unable to see them was clearly agitating the group. Only a few attempted to call out, probably pleas for help.

Then…Hanji had an idea.

Mixed feelings of reluctance and curiosity plagued her mind as she searched through footage of the most recent recordings. Videos of the lake.

 

Finding one that stood out, Hanji wondered if this recording would get a reaction. She played the audio, waiting for the shrill bark of the merman recorded to break the silence. The soundbite played and all was silent. All of the mermaids stiffened, most of them unfamiliar with the sound. In fact only two of them would know the sound of this merman. Only one would care.

For about three seconds there was complete silence before one of the mermaids started squeaking out.

The bespectacled biologist closed her eyes, acknowledging that she deserved every bit of guilt she could feel.

Her little mer, Squirt, was crying out with increasing volume. The poor thing did recognise the sound of the merman’s voice it had just heard because that voice happened to belong to the very same merman who’d been courting him these past days.

Squirt had been quiet since Loverboy’s calls had died down (Hanji assumed that he was taking a break, conserving strength, or perhaps he’d howled his throat raw) but now the mermaid was up and struggling. His high pitched cries of response were louder than ever, probably at hearing his mate’s voice so close.

When no call answered him, Squirt began to grow disheartened. His last cry was shaky towards the end and Hanji could’ve slapped herself.

She never thought she could break her own heart.

In the distance, only a few moments later, there was a strange noise. Quieter than the howls from before, rasping and drawn out…it could only be Squirt’s mate-to-be.

Hearing the faraway howl of a response, Squirt stilled and frowned. He whimpered, unsure of himself suddenly, and Hanji realised the problem. He had just then heard Loverboy’s voice close enough to be in sight and then moments later it had been far away. His mind didn’t know what to make of it.

It might lose her some of the rapport that she’d been working so hard to achieve, but Hanji had to help the little guy out.

She played the recording again. Watched the shock on Squirt’s face as he narrowed his eyes on her form, acknowledging the direction that his mate’s voice had just come from. The brunet barked a sound at her and Hanji played the sound one last time to make sure he had the right of the situation.

He looked…surprised. Intrigued but not angry as she had suspected.

When Loverboy’s next cry sounded it was the real thing and thankfully Squirt seemed to have things figured out by then. His answering calls were sure of themselves once more, blue-green eyes slitted suspiciously in Hanji’s direction.

“Guess he’s smarter than we thought.” Nanaba stated.

She was smiling fondly as she spoke.

Hanji nodded, feeling oddly proud.

 

There were few other things that Hanji could think of doing but she blamed her lack of imagination on an emotional day. The sun was long-since lost behind the mountains and the biologist was just beginning to pack away the gear gathered to test the mers.

Hanji noticed it while she was checking up on the mermaids, making sure that they were not too cold.

One in particular was shaking. It wasn’t that chilly out and pressed up against the other mermaids there didn’t seem to be a reason for Squirt to be cold…and then Hanji realised it. The way the brunet kept whimpering, trying to move about like he couldn’t keep still, the way his condition seemed to worry the other mermaids…

“ _Mike_.” Hanji hissed.

There were only a pair of guards standing by to keep an eye on the mermaids but both of them turned towards her at the sound she made.

“Ma’am?” One said.

“What’s wrong-”

“Get me Zacharius.” Hanji rasped, eyes wide and expression manic. _“Now!”_

“Y-Yes, ma’am.” The second guard stammered, instantly rushing off.

Hanji could hear him barking Mike’s name in the background. She couldn’t turn away from the netted mermaids.

_Please let me be wrong, please let this be some kind of mista-_

“Hanji?”

The brunette spun around at the sound of her voice, hands latching onto Mike’s shoulders. He looked only slightly startled by her behaviour.

Another voice joined the mix. “Hanji? What’s going on?”

“I think…” she swallowed, “I think it may have started for him.”

Mike’s eyes widened in understanding. Behind him, Nanaba only frowned.

“What?” She asked.

Hanji couldn’t pay her any attention just then, focusing on Mike with a desperate focus.

“Mike.” She implored. “Tell me I’m wrong.”

The blonde was silent for a moment but he sighed eventually and stepped past the fretting brunette to inspect the mermaid in question. He didn’t have to get close to notice what was happening and he heaved another sigh, this one with weight behind it.

“Something does smell strange.” Mike stated and he said the words like an apology. “I’m sorry.”

Hanji hissed in a breath, conscious of the eyes of the two guards on her. They were concerned but ignorantly so.

“Shit. Shit, shit, fuck.” Hanji cursed under her breath.

“What is it?” Moblit appeared then, grabbing Hanji by the shoulders and shaking her out of her panic. “What’s happened?”

The brunette looked up at him, eyes wide, and she only just remembered to keep her voice down so as not to inform the guards of what was happening.

“It’s Squirt. He’s in the pre-heat stage.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I watched _Dinosaur_ and that [one scene](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOT1Fci3GDA&list=PL_5Q3Sjx77nnvRHmwcHTyjx_7dFO5s7pC&index=9) where Aladar and the lemurs are calling out trying to find others still alive is what inspired Eren and Levi calling out to each other.
> 
> Got myself right in the feels with that one.
> 
> So this chapter came out ahead of schedule but the next one will very probably not be out for another 8 weeks. I'll be working on shorter works until this session of uni is over. Apologies and thank you for your patience <3


	18. Free

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...this update is an accident. But I procrastinated assessments today so that's why this is here now.
> 
> I hereby dedicate this chapter to everyone who was angry/distressed/sad at the angst that's been happening.

Cries of alarm rang out. At the far end of the camp, orange light flared in the gloom of the surrounding night. Human heads rose up, guards on watch frowning, other heads peeping out from tents to gauge the cause of the sudden commotion.

In the camp, someone shouted, “FIRE!”

Chaos began with the crashing of items dropped in panic and the skittering of feet rushing to the source of the flame.

At the other end of the camp, the first whimpers of alarm started up amongst the trapped mermaids.

The human camp burst into action with sudden shouting and rushing about. The two guards standing by watching over the mermaids let out cries and ran off towards the ominous glow coming from further into the camp. It became eerily quiet by the mers, all of the noise seeming to come from the other side of the camp, distant cries of panic and crashing.

As soon as they were gone, shadows darted their way past tents and stacks of packed away equipment. Those shadows stole through the darkness until they appeared by the edge of the net.

 

The coast was clear and God knew how much time they would have until someone thought to check back on the mermaids. Hanji looked around, left and then right, a couple of times before she was sure that none of Nile’s men were around. She raced out, trying to keep to the shadows thrown by the pitched tents in case someone passed by.

Unlikely, since everyone in camp was busy in the grips of a blind panic and trying to put out a fire that had mysteriously sprung up in the supply tents.

“ _Go!_ ” She hissed at her people and watched as three other shadows hurried from their hiding places.

They wouldn’t have long, especially if the fire didn’t spread enough and was actually put out.

Armed with their hunting knives, all four of the team set their anger against the thick ropes that bound their mermaids to the ground. The huddled creatures began to cry out, alarmed at the sudden approach, but they were surprisingly responsive to Hanji’s desperation-laced hushing. She spoke in quiet murmurs to them, promising in a babbling train of thought.

“I’m so sorry.”

“This has all been my fault.”

“I’ll get you out of here, just keep quiet for a little while longer.”

“You’ll all be alright.”

The ropes were cut all along one side and finally the net was heaved back. And then for a moment…everything was still.

All of the mermaids seemed frozen, staring up at their strange rescuers with eyes like saucers. Completely still. Almost trusting. It was a moment more precious than Hanji could remember but she had to shatter it.

“RUN!” She bellowed at them, waving her arms in the direction of their pond.

Several yelps sounded and Hanji and her team chased the sudden stampede towards the trees. Only Hanji didn’t stop running. Her strides only got longer and faster, running along at the back of the fleeing pod and she could barely see through the stinging tears in her eyes but that didn’t stop her.

The more she thought about it, there was nothing for her back at the camp. She had set the supply tents ablaze; any resources that they might have taken would be spoiled by now. From the glowing behind her, it was easy to tell that the fire had not been put out. It still burned freely, the perfect distraction. It had been a reckless plan, coming to her without much detail other than the two goals she needed to achieve:

Distract the guards.

Free the mermaids.

And now her plan had run out. Hanji couldn’t go back and try to salvage their equipment. Nile would only use it to track them again and she would never be a reason that a merperson came to harm ever again.

The footsteps of her comrades faded behind her. They weren’t following.

It was probably for the best. The others would head back to camp, help control the fire, and maybe they could blame the whole incident on her? Maybe Mike, Nanaba, and Moblit could all get out of this without any repercussions and then they could keep their research material? Carry on the mission?

Hanji hoped so.

Her only urge in that moment was to keep running and Hanji realised with no small amount of shock that she had no intention of going back to the camp or civilisation any time soon. She blinked and became aware of where she was, running, throat raw from harsh breathing, and in the middle of a fleeing pod of mermaids.

None of them snapped at her or bounded away in fear. They were heading for the pond and that was when Hanji realised that, out of all the pups that she had seen captured, they had all been tiny mermaids.

For the pod to be returning to their home pond like this…that had to mean there was something back there that they needed before they could move on. There was no way that this group would remain here after the trauma that had befallen them.

The pod was returning to gather their merman pups.

With a newfound determination, Hanji picked up her pace. She wasn’t sure how much she could help these creatures, but she was willing to do just about anything to atone for her mistakes.

Hearing a different sounding cry from the sounds the mermaids had been making around her, Hanji looked up in time to see a familiar figure darting away from the rest of the pod. She smiled and felt tears swimming in her vision all over again.

“Go get him, Squirt.”

 

It had all happened so very quickly. One moment the camp had been calm, Eren and his kin cramped and cowering beneath the course vine trap that the land mers were weighing them down with. The cold night crowded in, bringing shadows and unfriendly faces in a pair of land mers who had refused to leave their side. The pair kept an eerie vigil even as the others in their pod entered their little structures and prepared, it would seem, for rest. And then in the next moment, the whole pod of land mers were panicking and the smell of smoke had begun to tinge the air.

A smell terrifying to all creatures, even these seemingly fearless land mers. As the glow of hungry fire grew, as yet out of sight, the mermaids began to chitter with worry. Struggle as they might, there was no way to get free of these damned vines. They had tried all day to be free but the land mers were experts at traps, it would seem.

No way out.

Would this be the end for them all, Eren wondered. He couldn’t imagine meeting his end now, without getting to see Levi again, without having a chance to explain.

Levi must have been so worried and Eren hadn’t had a chance to tell him that he had only been frightened, not unwilling, when he had fled. The moment he had become ensnared Eren had wanted nothing more than for Levi to appear and free him. But the merman could not come to him, not over such a vast expanse of land. The forest was a dangerous place for creatures who were not familiar with it and Eren feared that the harsh stones and poking sticks of the forest floor would have treated Levi’s more delicate skin unkindly.

But then again what did Eren really know about the capabilities of mermen? More than he knew about these troublesome land mers, that much was certain.

In the midst of the panicking Eren and his pod were left alone. Not for long, though, as moments after they were abandoned a group of four land mers came creeping out from the shadowy night. Their scents were…familiar. They approached rapidly and silently, hacking into the coarse vines binding Eren and his kin, and for a frightening moment the mermaids feared that they were under attack.

One of the strange ones spoke up, then, and Eren recognised their tone. It was the mischievous land mer who had played that nasty trick on him earlier, somehow capturing Levi’s voice and making Eren believe that the merman was closer. That he was coming to save him.

An unpleasant game, in Eren’s opinion. He had not been impressed with the barbaric creature’s antics, although he was curious as to how the trick had been done.

Eren guessed that he would never know.

That didn’t matter, for the land mers succeeded at last in their hacking at the vines and as one they heaved the covering off of the huddled pod. Eren stiffened, as did most of his kin, and they exchanged wary glances with the land mers. When it became apparent that they were not going to be attacked, the mermaids made a joint realisation. They had just been freed. Rescued by the very kin of the creatures that had trapped them in the first place.

Confusion and gratefulness alike gripped Eren’s chest but he did not get a chance to warble his thanks for the next second the apparent leader of their little group of saviours bellowed at them in urgency.

Their word was foreign but the message was clear. Flee.

This time around none of the mermaids hesitated. Hands and feet dug into the earth and the mermaids sprung into a full retreat, some of the adults scooping up pups as they went. Their rescuers did not ask for thanks, it would seem. They merely encouraged the pod along their way, running behind them until the pod passed the tree line.

One of them continued running, gasping for breath strangely and seeming to choke on the air it sucked in. Its eyes were wet, shining in glints of moonbeams, and some of the mers running near to it gave questioning clicks of concern. It didn’t seem to notice them. Eren gave a grateful yip in the creature’s direction, unsure whether his thanks reached their ears or not. He could not stay to make sure that they heard him, though.

He had places to be and amends to make. Running onwards, driven by adrenaline and fear, he let familiar paths pull him in the direction of the lake.

While he couldn’t have known it at the time, it had become clear to Eren that he should never have run. When he thought of safety nowadays his mid led him directly to Levi and to run from what his very being deemed his source of safety had been folly. Levi had risked life and limb to keep Eren safe. Eren had already made up his mind to go with the raven, and then he had let panic render him stupid. He would find Levi now and greet him with his full trust, if he was able. Instinct was a powerful thing and the mermaid hoped that he could persuade his mind and body to re-enter those frightening waters. He had to, for both Levi’s sake and his own.

The forest welcomed him, guiding his journey beneath its canopy like an old and familiar friend. The greenery was muted in the darkness but cool leaves caressed Eren’s skin as if in farewell. He was not sure where Levi would be taking him, only knowing somewhere in his gut that he was, in fact, leaving. It was time to give up his childhood and venture out, carve a new life in the world by Levi’s side.

Even through the fear that coursed through his veins still from a day spent in captivity, Eren recognised that he was free. Free to make choices, free to live.

He ran on, gasping uneven breaths and feeling the tingling of adrenaline in his veins and wishing so desperately for a future in Levi’s arms. He would never run from him again so long as he lived. Eren vowed to himself that he would be a good mate, would do everything in his power to make Levi happy, give him all the love, affection, and pups that he deserved.

But first, to find him.

All throughout the day Levi had been calling to Eren, straining to make his voice reach across the forest. His calls had become hoarser as his throat wore itself out and finally the calls stopped altogether.

How miserable it must have been…not to know what was happening. All Eren had been able to do was answer his calls, his own yowling high pitched and yearning.

He had to find Levi, had to make sure that he was okay.

It hurt to run. Eren’s healing skin felt tight in places and he had to be careful in case he reopened any wounds. The mermaid managed as best he could, moving quickly and keeping tabs on any discomfort he felt. Ultimately, though, he needed speed more than caution. Eren forced himself to ignore the hurt in his body, the stinging of his injuries reminding him of their presence. Whatever foul substance that the land mers had covered him with had helped to heal the scrapes he had gained, although the awful stench of the stuff still offended his nose. It tasted worse than the bitterest leaves Eren had ever put to his tongue, curious and ignorant as a youngster. The smell was hardly much better, pungent and unpleasant – it stung the nostrils and made the eyes water.

Eren wasn’t sure how the land mers could bear it.

He would wash the stuff off in the lake, Eren decided. Hopefully it wouldn’t taint the water too much as Levi and the other mermen probably wouldn’t appreciate that.

Levi. It already felt like an age since Eren had last seen him. So many things had occurred these past few days and Eren felt exhausted. His body was sore and still too warm for his liking, his skin littered with twinging scratches from his misadventures and maltreatment at the hands of the land mers.

Savage, uncivilised creatures, they were. If Eren never saw one again it would be too soon.

Eren wished that there was something he could to that would stop those nasty creatures from ever harming his kind again. He couldn’t think of anything that might stop them, shy of leading the whole pack right into the lake. The mermaid was sure that Levi and his friends would be more than happy to teach those land mers a lesson on picking fights. It would almost be worth having to witness the bloody carnage of it.

But when it came down to it, Eren was not a violent creature. Not unless he had to be. If he could escape from the land mers and not have to deal with them again, that would be enough. His pod would likely warn any passing pods or mermaids about them. Eren would just have to trust that everything would be alright.

Getting nearer to the lake, Eren breathed in the cooler air. There was moisture about, chilling the temperature, but it couldn’t deter the young male. He tipped his head back a little as he ran and let out a call. That should let Levi know that he was coming.

Only…seconds passed and there was no response. Had Levi lost his voice?

Eren’s brows furrowed in concern, worry spiking up his spine in an unpleasant tingle. A series of yips left Eren’s mouth, pitching in worry. They echoed through the forest, also going unanswered. What if Levi was no longer there? What if the land mers had hurt him, too?

The unpleasant thoughts drove the mermaid faster. He called again. And again.

Nothing. Eren almost wailed, images plaguing his mind of Levi lying exhausted on the shore. He had to be alright.

The brush behind him rustled and Eren turned with a snarl ready in his throat, fully prepared to defend himself should any of those pesky land mers show their faces. He was very surprised and relieved when it was Isabel that came tumbling out of the bushes. She sat up quickly, trailing twigs and moss, and rushed to Eren. Her eyes were wide and, listening closely, Eren could hear why.

Distant for the most part…but growing closer. Throughout the forest there were the odd shouts of their enemies. The land mers were spreading out through the trees, heading away from their odd little settlement and looking for something.

Looking for _them_ , Eren and Isabel and the other mermaids in their pod, the brunet realised with renewed fear.

Eren clicked quietly for Isabel to follow him and together they scampered for the lake.

The brunet’s mind wandered briefly to his pod but he couldn’t worry about them now. They would have reached home pond by now and rescued their little mermen. The poor things had been alone and scared, smart enough to conceal themselves when danger came. No doubt they would be halfway to starving. There would barely be time to feed them, either – the poor little fellows would have to wait until the pod had relocated.

And that was something that had to happen. The pod would move on, knowing that it was too dangerous in this area now. Up until this point the land had been safe enough, with only the occasional forest predator causing trouble. These newcomers were the biggest threat that Eren had ever come across and he knew that the elders had acknowledged that too. Moving on was the only option to ensure the safety of the pod and the youngsters in their care. The pod’s next best site and the closest one to them was in the cave system in the mountains around the lake. Not even that far from their current site, this one would make it more difficult for them to be taken unawares. There were trees all around for them to climb, hide in, or use to hunt birds, and the lake would be just down the mountainside so water wouldn’t be an issue. There were rock pools within the caves where rainwater would catch; the merman pups could be kept there until it was time for them to make their way into the world. When that time came, they could be deposited directly into the lake where their instincts would lead them wherever they needed to be.

Eren forced himself to breathe. It would all be okay. His pod would be fine.

It was his and Isabel’s lives that were in the most danger now. They had to hurry.

Not too much further now – Eren could smell the water. He encouraged Isabel along, sensing her unease and clicking in an attempt to ease her worry. Not that it did much for his own concerns.

Behind them the forest was becoming noisier as the threat grew closer.

Just a little bit further. And there it was; the slivers of reflected water were visible through gaps in the trees!

Bursting through the tree line again, Eren yapped at the sight of the lake, strangely elated. And then he skidded to a stop, noticing how eerie it appeared. He blinked, sniffing at the air warily. The water was the same midnight shade as the sky above and seemed to be dappled with the same stars, only its surface rippled where the sky did not. Slivers of moonlight danced on the sluggish surface. The whole area seemed gloomy and cold, sending a shiver through the mermaid. Still, Eren had to be brave.

He continued forward, calling to Levi. The merman was nowhere to be seen, thankfully not sprawled in exhaustion as Eren had imagined. Whether Levi was captured or in a fatigue-induced slumber, Eren did not know.

He eyed the black surface again, barking at the water. Bubbles rose from beneath the surface infrequently, perhaps not enough to be a sign of waiting life.

Maybe it was Levi. Maye it wasn’t. Either way Eren couldn’t wait any longer. The sounds of the land mers were approaching; they knew to come here in search of him. They had to know.

Eren hoped with all he had that Levi would be waiting for him in those murky depths.

Summoning all of his courage, Eren closed his eyes and charged for the lake. He ignored Isabel’s frightened yap, reaching the edge and leaping out. For a few moments he flew, just like leaping for birds, and the gravity pulled him back into its embrace. He met the water with a splash, the coldness greeting him with its icy fingers. Memories of his last incident in the lake flickered in the mermaid’s mind but no pallid fingers reached to slash him this time. The body of that threat was long-since dead, either lying at the bottom of the lake or in the belly of one of the mermen. Who knew? What Eren did know was that he couldn’t let himself get dragged down this time.

While the finer details of swimming escaped him, he had to try something. The water was already pulling at him, trying its friendly act of persuasion to take him on a tour of the lakebed. He wouldn’t be killed so easily. Eren kicked out with his legs and swung his arms through the water, surprised when he was able to tread water. He opened his eyes and tried to peer beneath the surface but he could not make out a single thing in the pitch darkness below him. Levi was nowhere to be seen. Turning and coughing, he managed to flail enough to reach the bank again where an anxious Isabel was waiting for him. She sniffed and whimpered with worry and Eren couldn’t blame her.

She must have thought that he’d lost his mind, diving into the waters that had held so many threats just today. Hands reached for him and Isabel pulled her podmate up.

Eren paused, hanging onto the edge of the bank to rest.

There wasn’t time for thought or planning and Eren realised that. He crooned gently to Isabel, clicking encouragingly. She needed to call for Farlan, to summon him there. Eren wasn’t sure what exactly the process would be once he arrived…but he would take the little redhead to safety. That was the only thing of importance.

Eren stiffened, unsure why he felt a sudden tingling of awareness in his skin. He bleated for Isabel to back away.

The next second something snatched around one of his ankles and pulled.

A shriek of alarm left the brunet, sparking a squeak of fright in Isabel as well as she scrambled back, and Eren kicked without thinking.

He started to turn his head, half of a panicked cry escaping his throat when he saw a pale arm reach past his head and up to the bank. His cry cut itself off as wet fingers dug dark claws into the dirt for purchase, the fingers familiar. A slick warmth pressed against Eren’s back, solid and pressing him forward. Eren all but sobbed at the familiar growl that sounded by his ear, uncaring that the sound was almost hostile. Teeth and lips grazed Eren’s ear, strong vibrations rumbling in the raven’s throat. Levi had every right to be angry with him but all Eren could do was cry. His emotional dam burst, releasing hot, fat tears that rolled freely over Eren’s cheeks. He blubbered through miserable clicks and explanatory noises, wailing for forgiveness while Levi…nuzzled his hair?

Somewhere between his initial growl to now, Levi had started crooning.

The mermaid blinked through his tears, confused. His confusion grew when he felt the soft lapping of Levi’s tongue against his throat, slow and almost thoughtless strokes.

Levi…by some strange miracle…wasn’t angry. He clicked at Eren in irritation, nipped at his ear in reprimand for being so reckless in running away, but most of his actions were…Eren wasn’t sure, actually. Levi was shaky against him, breathing uneven, mouth desperate against hot skin. All the mermaid wanted to do was melt against him. He was still holding on, though. His grip on the bank was tight, refusing to budge, although holding half of Levi’s weight was beginning to take its toll on his own strength. The raven didn’t seem to mind much and made no effort to relieve the mermaid of his burden, swishing his tail through the water in almost lazy motions.

Eren gave a weary mewl, hoping to convince Levi to let him rest. The merman just made an oddly knowing rumble. He licked Eren’s ear in apology.

Apology for what? Eren asked and Levi just licked him again. The mermaid gave a suspicious click.

The harsh cries of the land mers brought both mates back into focus and Levi’s snarl drowned out Eren’s quiet whimper of concern.

Isabel fretted on the shore, yipping piteously. She had wandered over to the edge of the lake at last, calling for help. The water near her stirred suddenly with bubbles and a tail flicked up briefly. Isabel leaned over, a hopeful sound leaving her throat, and she waited. A pale hand flew out of the water, latched onto her wrist, and with a strong tug she tumbled face first into the water. Her head emerged, taking in a gasping breath. Another head popped out of the water in front of her, yellow-haired, and the merman leaned forward and licked her nose before diving again with her in tow. After a few seconds of splashing she was gone.

Eren stared with wide eyes, squeaking out a call to the redhead.

_Farlan_ , Levi clicked into Eren ear to calm him.

Then the merman sank down a bit and, without much warning, let Eren feel the rest of his weight. He dangled, half-submerged, one arm curled around the mermaid’s left thigh and the other gripping over his right hip. Eren gave a protesting bark. His mate was heavy.

Levi tugged at him again with an oddly urgent note. Something was up, something that Levi seemed reluctant to inform Eren about.

The brunet shifted, panting in exertion. Claws dug into his flesh further when Eren did not respond immediately and Eren couldn’t snap out of his suddenly frightened stupor. His worry was coming back, thoughts of black water trying to seep its way into his lungs plaguing his mind. And then teeth bit into the skin of his thigh over the scaled gland there, like needles in tender flesh. Eren yelped, jerking in Levi’s hold. His skin wetted then, warm and slick with trickling blood and oils that seeped from his scales at the treatment. It hurt enough to rip a pained cry from the mermaid before endorphins began to release to numb the pain and turn it into other sensations. His leg tingled, trying to convince Eren that it was really pleasure he was feeling. Levi went for the other thigh, sinking his teeth in deep and licking away the excess blood, drugging Eren’s body.

Eren lost his grip for a moment and slipped, squealing in fright. The two of them splashed into the water but Eren managed to claw at the dirt. He struggled against the muddy bank before Levi managed to flip him over, pressing the mermaid’s back against the churned soil.

And there he was. It was the first time Eren had gotten a clear look at his mate’s face since he had run and Levi looked so different. Nothing about him had changed in a physical sense, other than the ripening blue of his scales, but the expression he wore – a clash of agony and urgency and something raw that made his eyes seem to blacken – rocked Eren to his core.

Hands tugged at his waist, a warbling plea leaving Levi’s throat.

Eren whimpered, an apology, a plea for direction, and did not protest when Levi guided his shaky legs around his hips, clicking for him to hold on. He tightened his grip instinctively, squeezing shaky legs as best he could. Eren’s arms found their way around Levi’s shoulders of their own accord.

They found themselves face to face, teal eyes wide and caught by a darker gaze.

He felt dizzy at the proximity, Levi’s scent so powerful in his nose that Eren felt intoxicated. There was something different about it, stronger than the mermaid recalled it ever being. It made him want to do indecent things that he wasn’t very sure of. Maybe Levi would know more about those kinds of urges? Eren whined for guidance.

Levi leaned in close to the brunet, growling low in encouragement, and sealed his mouth over the mermaid’s.

A hot tongue lapped at plump lips, coaxing Eren’s mouth to open. Levi scruffed Eren then, gripping the back of his nape hard enough to draw a startled whimper from the little mer as harsh pressure was applied to the nerves there. He tugged, trying to back up, but his movements were quickly becoming sluggish. Levi kept up that pressure until Eren’s wide eyes grew hazy and half-lidded, making sure that Eren’s mouth did not leave his.

With his hold on Eren secured, Levi dived.

 

Approximately twelve seconds later three of Nile’s hired muscle came barrelling through the tree line, tranquilisers aimed in front of them should they spot any hostile lifeforms.

They had been tracking a pair of mermaids that had broken off from the main pack and headed back for the lake. It should have been an easy catch, seeing as the area around the lake was an open and relatively flat spot – perfect for the use of ranged weapons.

Only there were no mermaids here.

“We lost ‘em.” The leader hissed, frustration lacing his tone as he turned back to his team. “Call it in. We’ll make our way from here to the rest of the team.”

While his colleague passed information over the comms. the leader took a moment to survey the area. Wherever those mers were hiding, it was a damned good spot.

It was almost like they had up and vanished.

The only sign that any life dwelled in this place was the rippling water by the edge of the lake; the last bubbles of some creature floating up to the surface.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a method to my madness, Eren is fine, Levi is (believe it or not) taking care of him. All will be explained next chapter. Which might actually take 7 weeks this time because I _really_ have to do these assessments now but hopefully you enjoyed your updates and I'll see you all again when I'm free!!


	19. Reaffirm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The boys make the trip back to the cave.
> 
> I hope the process of making it from shore to Levi's cave makes sense, as it's a very important ritual for building trust between a pair of mers that are seeking to become a mated pair. There's only one shot at this ritual, there are no do-overs.

Light appeared above the surface of the lake but the water remained dark around the raven and his mate. Eren was still for the most part, eyes closed instinctively, and Levi tucked the little mer against him as he drifted slowly lower. Chilly waters greeted them, colder the further down he went, but Levi would rather risk the cold than alert their enemies above. He could hear them, muffled by the lake but loud and searching. They would not find what they sought, what they were hunting for, because their prize was safe in Levi’s arms.

Once the merman was satisfied that there was no way for the land mers above to detect his movements, he set off with purpose. Levi embarked on what he recognised was one of the most crucial trips of his life. There was only one chance with this ritual. He had to be careful.

There was a whole other life in his hands and if Levi was not watchful, not conscious of his little mate, Eren would suffer for it.

So Levi swam. With every push of his tail he put more distance between the shore and his mate. His precious Eren. The little mer had opened his eyes, blinking unseeing into the space before him. Levi feared for a moment that the brunet might start to thrash in panic, unused to being blind. But Eren was remarkably docile, holding tighter with tired limbs and knowing that the warmth he was latched onto was Levi. And he had the press of Levi’s mouth for proof, sealed against pliant lips to ensure that no water could get inside. The mermaid whined, the vibrations of it evident against Levi’s mouth and the sound, quieted by the water, reaching his ears.

Levi picked up the pace. He’d headed back to his cave many times over, even in the short time he’d been living in this lake, but this particular trip was different.

This time he had Eren wrapped up in his arms, body still sluggish from being scruffed, lids heavy.

This trip had to be a quick one, but also a cautious one. Levi wasn’t sure how long he could keep Eren under in this dazed form of consciousness. It was necessary so that the little mer wouldn’t panic and hurt himself, but surviving on limited oxygen was not ideal for very long.

Pale arms secured a tighter hold on Eren. One arm wound high around the mermaid’s back just under the shoulders; the other curled at an angle from side to the small of Eren’s back, a clawed hand curled around one hip.

The lake passed around them, a blur of black water to Eren. He could see nothing but the blur of pale flesh of Levi’s face before him, grey eyes looking closer to black in the darkness. Even that was hard to make out, a shape of grey in the murky gloom. Levi watched him as long as Eren could keep his eyes open, growing sleepier the longer they swam, as the air in his lungs grew less and less.

But he never ran out of air…it was a peculiar sensation and one that Eren wouldn’t remember all that well due to the foggy memory.

Half-lidded eyes blinked groggily against fast-moving water, eventually drifting closed altogether. Mouth sealed carefully over Eren’s, Levi kept a slow but constant flow of oxygen through the little mer’s lungs, grateful that Eren knew well enough to breathe out through his nose every once in a while. Aided by instinct, although neither mer had ever experienced this particular ritual before. A miracle of their nature. Silently guided actions that both males knew without ever knowing before.

They left bubbles in their wake as the merman made his way through the lake. Levi relied on memory alone, having swum these waters over and over against waiting for his mate to arrive. Waiting for a courting that, until it had begun, he had been ill equipped to participate in.

Unable to move his head around to look without breaking the seal that allowed Eren to breathe made things tricky. Not impossible, though. Once they neared the entrance to Levi’s cave, he sacrificed his secure hold of Eren to grab at rocks and earth, claws digging in for purchase to pull them along. His pace slowed, tail working only to push them along as fast as Levi could identify the correct direction. It would have been easier to steal a glance. But that would mean breaking contact with Eren’s mouth, leaving the mermaid without the air he needed.

Levi could make it without looking. It was his duty to do so. A first step of care.

Of dedication. Their lifetime of partnership began here, truly began, as Eren surrendered his very life over into Levi’s trust. At this depth, and in an unfamiliar location, there was no way the mermaid would be able to make it to the surface in time to save himself should Levi abandon him.

The very thought had the merman’s insides twisting in distress and he held tighter to Eren with the arm he had available.

Levi didn’t want to add to whatever trauma his Eren had already faced since their parting. The merman himself felt oddly exhausted and all he had done throughout the day was swim back and forth around the lake, heading up the river, calling and searching for his little mate. Eren hadn’t seemed to be anywhere, always out of reach no matter where the raven had gone. He had called until his throat was raw and then some, having to dive and seek out healing plants to ease the strain so he could try all over again. Just hearing Eren had been somewhat of a comfort, even if the mermaid had been far away from him. It was better to hear him than to hear silence.

Now Levi had the little mer and was taking him away where he would be safe, once and for all.

If Eren never left Levi’s side again it would be too soon.

He was glad when the mermaid didn’t struggle against his efforts, oddly calm with the water all around them now. Eren had even been waiting for Levi in the lake, half submerged and clinging to land where his poor swimming skills wouldn’t have been able to keep him up. And now Eren was holding on as best he could to the merman. Limbs no doubt heavy and resisting the urge to grip. Fingers slack and numbing. Eren was doing remarkably well while receiving less oxygen than he was used to. At least the mer didn’t panic. Once his body succumbed to Levi’s clever tricks, the mermaid had accepted his fate and put himself in Levi’s hands. It was more than Levi had hoped for. More than he had expected.

Had the ritual failed, the merman had been prepared to make trips to the surface to let Eren breathe on his own if need be. It would have been a slower trip. Eren’s trust in Levi would not have been as strong. But the little mer behaved wonderfully once he realised that he was not, in fact, going to be drowned in the depths of the lake. Rather, he was being helped along the trip to Levi’s cave.

They were almost there – Levi’s claws encountered smoother stone of a passage worn down by tough scales. This was the entrance to Levi’s temporary home here, and there was only a short way to go.

He crooned carefully, letting the vibrations comfort Eren.

_Nearly there. Just a bit longer._

It was difficult to use both his lungs and his gills at the same time, a skill that Levi had not used before. He found it came somewhat naturally, and yet the strain of this unique multitasking became quickly apparent. He would need to practice, for the act was necessary to allow Eren to make the trip at all. The mermaid did not have the advantage of gills; he would have to rely on Levi’s ability to get them both back to safety.

And this time it would be to a place where those wretched land mers could not follow.

The only way in was far below the water, a place where those lacking gills would have difficulty reaching. Levi’s cave was a hollowed space that delved into the side of one of the mountains, into the stone of one of the roots that burrowed into the lakebed. There was both water and air there, Levi had made sure when he had come looking for a place to reside. At the time he’d not known why but now the reason made itself clear.

A gentle creature with only one means of taking in air.

Once the cave opened out, it left the submergence of the lake. Still surrounded by stone, but above the water and with access to cracks and crevices in the rock. There was a pocket of air that filled most of the cave, with just enough water in there for Levi to be able to swim around the worn rock islands within. Little streams of moonlight reached their way in to greet the water below, painting slivers of it with silvery white.

This pale light greeted the merman as he made his way into the cave through a dark tunnel of stone. The water lightened, grey stone becoming visible instead of surrounding blackness. Overhead, the surface loomed, white light twinkling across its ripples from moonbeams above.

With one last, heaving push of his tail, Levi sent them surging upwards. Levi’s ears adjusted as they broke the surface, the splashing loud after the gentle muffling of lake water. The merman grasped for rock, heaving himself and Eren’s added weight along with him up onto the stone of one of the small islands.

Levi pulled them quickly from the water, cradling Eren against him in case the change in environment startled the groggy mer. Eren didn’t so much as twitch, limp in the merman’s hold. Levi eased him down onto the stone, leaning over him so as not to disconnect their mouths just yet.

Laid on his back, Eren barely stirred. Too far under to rouse at the cold press of rock beneath him.

He would need to be woken gently. Levi fed him air, more now that the mermaid did not need to be dull of awareness. He was careful not to flood Eren’s lungs with oxygen right away. Flattened palms found Eren’s sides, rubbing with harsh pressure to stir Eren’s blood to flow. He needed to warm quickly, lest the mer become sick. Levi hovered, brushing against Eren’s skin, tucked close to warm him. Gradually breathing, letting more and more air make its way into Eren until the little mer opened his eyes.

Eren blinked once, sleepy eyes focusing on Levi. Then those eyes widened, foggy memory failing the brunet, and Eren tensed briefly. Eren broke away to suck in a deeper breath, taking in oxygen until his lungs protested, and he instantly dissolved into a fit of coughing.

Levi tried not to crowd the little mer, giving him room to cough and wretch on cold air until it was normal to him again. Stinging tears beaded on wet lashes as Eren adjusted, panting breathlessly until he could pull in air without choking on it again. He shook as he steadied his shaking breathing, and teal eyes had barely turned to grey before they filled with tears again.

Recognition, first and foremost. Eren saw his Levi. His mate. One from whom he had been separated for only a short time, in the scheme of things, and yet longer than Eren ever wanted to be away from him again.

Levi clicked at him, weary after the long day.

Eren blinked at the space between them, however small, and felt his throat tighten. It had been a trying day for the both of them and Eren had had enough. He lurched forward, arms shaking as they sought Levi’s shoulders. The brunet slammed into Levi, arms seeking to hold onto the merman while the first sobs clawed their way out of Eren’s throat.

The mermaid’s voice cracked, a miserable whine echoing in the cave.

Levi reeled for a moment, unsure of what he had done wrong, but Eren only blubbered against him. Wet strands tickled the side of Levi’s face and he cocked his head to sniff, trying to get a read on the brunet’s distress. Eren had just been through an awful day and a trying ritual, so there was every chance that it had been too much for him. But why then would the mermaid latch himself onto the source of his distress?

Tilting his head, Levi tried cooing at the mermaid. He shifted, sought out Eren’s throat, and inhaled carefully where the little mer’s scent was strongest. There was no reason for Eren to cling to him so desperately if Levi was the source of his tears. Eren’s scent was distressed, yes. Levi could detect no fear in him, though. If anything the mermaid reached out to him with his scent, hands clutching blindly as Eren cried.

Deciding that the brunet’s misery was not his own doing was easy from there. With nothing else to be done, Levi resolved to bring Eren what comfort he could. The merman coaxed the little mer to lay down against him, pulling Eren against his chest and clicking softly to him all the while. Levi laid back himself and Eren came to him willingly, accepting his place in the merman’s arms. There was no hesitation in him, only exhaustion, and Eren slumped against Levi as soon as he was safe there. Tucked close, held tight.

Sobbing was Eren’s luxury now that he wasn’t in immediate peril and he did so, a limp bundle of shaking, weeping mer in Levi’s arms.

Exhaustion had gotten to him. Eren shook, hot droplets falling from eyes that squeezed themselves shut. It was a pitiful sight, one that wrenched at Levi’s heart. He tried to comfort his little mate, but more and more tears fell. Levi tried to lick them away but more hot tears came, trailing salty paths down Eren’s face, and the raven felt a sudden anger in him.

What had the land mers done to Eren to leave him so distressed?

Levi pulled the little mer closer and curled his tail up to cover Eren’s back with his flukes, holding the brunet around the ribcage firmly to calm him.

The pressure seemed to be working, but gradually. It was a start.

Turning his anger to determination, Levi began to check his little mate for injury. There was no scent of fresh blood on him, and the odd smell that Eren had arrived with, sharp and sour, had all but washed away thanks to their trip to Levi’s cave. Eren’s scent remained clean in a physical sense and Levi went lax with relief. None of those foul creatures above the water had managed to try and claim Eren for themselves.

Not that such efforts would have swayed Levi’s affection. He was grateful that, of all the trauma that little Eren had faced, a forced union was not one of them.

Wails turned steadily to whimpers but Eren’s tears still came, quieter now. Levi did what he could, licking at Eren’s ears and grooming his face, mouth caressing tears away. Eren cried until he had tuckered himself out, sobbing ebbed off into soft sniffles.

And at last he seemed as good as he was going to get for the night.

The little mer sniffed wetly, heavy lids closed and face wet from tears and Levi’s attempt at grooming away his grief. Soft presses of Eren’s tongue tickled Levi’s skin where the brunet had tried to tuck his face away by the merman’s throat. Eren lapped, apologising or taking comfort in the scent that eased from Levi’s scales, maybe? The smell was overpowering, a musky sweetness that Levi wrinkled his nose at.

The merman was reaching peak day, would probably be there in another couple of days, and it was showing. His scales were flushed, vibrant cerulean as opposed to the dull bluish-grey that they normally were, the spines of his fins a deep navy. Levi was eager to show off his threat display with this much colour. He wondered how Eren would feel about it? What his reaction would be?

But the mermaid was still curled against him, nuzzling for comfort. Face tucked away, mouth busy against pale skin. Eren unfurled himself from his little ball of security to stretch and rub himself against the merman’s body, skin soaking up the sheen of scent that seeped from Levi’s scales.

Not a good idea.

It was good on Levi’s instincts for the little mer to so casually covering himself in his mate’s scent, but Eren’s squirming was getting distracting. Levi gave a warning trill, low and shaky.

That, at last, got Eren’s attention.

Finally Eren blinked wide, glassy eyes down at Levi. His face was a mix of emotions; eyes red-rimmed from crying, lashes clumped with drying tears, and cheeks flushed with the obvious realisation that he’d been tempting another intimate moment of fate. Avoided thanks to Levi’s consideration of the mermaid’s weariness and emotional state.

The both of them were tired. Rest would do them well and their first night spent in each other’s company would further strengthen their bond.

Best not, then, to test it with fluttering arousal.

Eren ducked his head in thanks and apology alike, swallowing as the full force of Levi’s scent seemed to hit him. He squeezed his eyes shut for a long moment, breathing harshly through his nose. Eren didn’t seem to get himself under better control, the scales on his throat growing shiny with responsive scent. And shaking still, he didn’t seem in any better shape that right before he’d burst into tears. But he made himself look at Levi through wetted lashes and seemed to notice that they were, for the first time, truly alone. Alone in a new way that had not been experienced before. Away from the outer world, away from any prying eyes. Levi had finally taken him off to a place of privacy.

Blinking around, Eren sat up on Levi’s chest, the damp flukes sliding off his shoulders as he glanced about.

It was dark but not so dark that nothing could be seen. Levi’s cave was quite closed off, with no large entrances to the outside apart from the one that led through the water. The air inside was cool and fresh, but permeated with dominating scent and the vague sweetness of Eren’s own scent. His own identifying smell was all but drowned out by Levi and Eren had half a mind to click at the raven and find out if something was ailing him.

Aside from his clumsy mate almost stirring him into arousal. Eren winced, whining another apology. Levi probably wouldn’t even know what the mermaid was sorry for and Eren didn’t bother trying to make his meaning known

He looked away, unable to meet his mate’s dark gaze just yet. He turned his eyes upwards, seeking out little cracks in the rock that seemed to glow from the moon high above. The night was blooming outside but in here it was quiet. Moisture dripped from the rocks occasionally and in the water Levi’s tail stirred, drifting back and forth in lazy motions. That and the sound of their breathing was all that could be heard – the rest shut out by the barrier of water or muffled by rock. Moonlight shone down from a few small gaps in the stony ceiling, illuminating two little islands of stone that rose up from the water.

And then there was Levi, calm and sleepy-looking, watching Eren with a gaze that spoke of weariness. Ready for rest, no doubt. Eren certainly felt ready to pass out.

They had spent a tiring time apart and after experiencing that, Eren knew he never wanted to be separated from Levi again. He hadn’t known just how frightening that could feel. To be out of reach, unable to get to the creature for which his heart cried. At the mercy of other creatures.

Now, though, Eren was safe. Safer than he’d been in a long time. Alone with the strongest creature that he had ever known in his lifetime, and yet Eren had never felt more secure. More content. Nothing could touch him here, nothing could bring him to harm, and he had Levi to thank for that. Eren knew that his merman would never try to hurt him, seriously hurt him outside of any accidental incidents. The raven didn’t seem all that interested in touching him either – dissuaded by his and the mermaid’s shared exhaustion.

It would have been a good time to settle down to sleep.

Alas, Eren’s stomach chose to make itself known with a hollow sounding growl, then. The little mer stiffened, reminded by his body that he hadn’t eaten all day. He couldn’t remember when it was that he’d last had food. His stomach hurt. Eren felt hollow inside and he curled in on himself a little as the feeling intensified.

He turned, as if to go off in search of a meal, but paused when he remembered that he was surrounded by water. There was nowhere for him to go. He turned his head quickly back to Levi. This was the merman’s domain and it was, therefore, his task to provide.

A loud yowl left the mermaid’s throat and Eren swallowed sheepishly. He clicked an apology, having not meant to be so demanding. His body yearned for sustenance, hungry for nutrients to put to use in whatever purpose it ached for.

It felt dire to the mermaid.

Eren pawed at Levi’s shoulders when the merman did not answer him, blinking grey eyes up at the mermaid in surprise. As if he had not considered the thought of food for days.

There was every chance that Levi had not fed either – the both of them too tied up in their panic to be reconciled with the other.

Levi’s eyes widened, this being the first thought of food or hunting that he had felt since his Eren had fled from him and fallen prey to the land mers. Levi gave a brief trill and he tipped Eren off him carefully, coaxing the mermaid to wait on the rocks. The merman hovered over the sprawled mermaid, bending to nuzzle. He drove their throats together, drowning the scales there in heady scent and leaving Eren dazed beneath him. Another quiet sound left Levi’s mouth, promising his swift return with a low warble, and he licked Eren’s nose before diving into the depths again.

Off to begin his duties as provider, as caretaker, while Eren squirmed sluggishly through the tingling that Levi’s scent marking had left in his body.

Hungry and tired and wanting, now. Wanting for touch, for the heavy press of Levi’s weight above him. Craving within for more than food.

But Levi was away and gathering for him, fish or freshwater eels perhaps? Eren would wait, had nothing else to do here but await Levi’s return. He made it up onto all fours, padding about the flatter parts of the rocky island to waste away time. Rolling onto his side, sliding against the smooth stone to stimulate scent-laden scales. Sweetness rose steadily in the air, a silent and happy welcoming for when Levi did return.

When the merman did resurface it was with jaws and hands busy with still-struggling fish. His eyes blinked water out of them and as one set of lids folded away, Levi took note of his panting mate. Eren had succumbed, it would seem, to the fleeting temptation of arousal. Thanks, in part, to Levi’s possessive departing goodbye.

Levi watched Eren writhe, hip rolling with some uncertainty against scent-slickened stone. The merman beat his catch lifeless, his eyes never leaving Eren’s flushing skin.

The poor mermaid was too tired for a proper mating and Levi, while eager to bond his little one, would not put Eren through any more trials for the day. He could not leave the brunet to suffer, leaking more than just scent onto the stone.

Eren watched the merman tear bones from flesh, leaving the mermaid the easiest morsels to consume. Those were pushed Eren’s way in a heap. An offered meal.

Sniffing at what appeared to be disinterest from Levi at Eren’s agitated state, the mermaid turned to accept the food. He whimpered when commanding his shaky limbs to move proved difficult and all but collapsed in front of the offered fish. Levi was busy slithering back into the water, presumably to get more food. The mermaid paid him no mind, trying to set his focus on eating, and wondering if he could chew and rut at the same time without either task impeding the other.

In the end he did not have to worry about that.

A splash sounded and Eren turned with worry, only to find Levi pulling himself back out of the water behind the little mer. A wary cluck left Eren as Levi crept up behind him, but the merman only encouraged Eren to eat his food, a clawed hand curling over the heated flesh of one of Eren’s inner thighs. The mermaid watched him, shifting about anxiously while Levi made himself comfortable, occupied with grooming Eren’s lower back.

Whatever Levi was planning, he was taking his time with it. Eren huffed and turned back to his food with a troubled pout, busying himself with devouring the pile of fish that Levi had caught just for him.

He mewled in protest when the hand on his thigh guided his legs to part further, briefly upsetting his balance. Eren settled again as best he could with Levi’s tongue sliding across his skin and his hand busy abusing the sensitive skin of Eren’s thighs, coaxing them to slicken with scent.

Eren wanted to grumble at him, but the release of built up scent was relieving in a way. His scales were sore with it, his body relaxing now that he was being taken care of. It did make him tingle, though, and burn in places. Places outside, too close to Levi’s hands for comfort, and places inside that Eren lamented the merman’s inability to reach. The sensation, some kind of almost pleasant and yet almost unbearable ache deep within, made Eren want to press his thighs together but Levi would not let him. Seemed to like him more open, soft skin vulnerable to the scratching caress of wicked claws.

Levi was very careful with him, despite the means he had to render flesh split open and red raw. Any touch from those talons was feather light. Barely-there trails that tickled Eren’s skin. The knuckles of Levi’s hands were for pressure, digging into pliant skin to release oily scent until the merman’s hands were dripping.

It was a miracle in itself that Eren had not succumbed to his first heat yet, with a body so responsive to Levi’s touch.

The mermaid’s body called for attention, more than it was already receiving. Eren was tired, confused as he tried to eat and savour the sensations Levi put into his skin with his hands and tongue alone. And Levi sought to end his confusion, had to end this moment before his own body could be coaxed into a similar state.

Eren yelped when Levi closed a hand around his cock, the mermaid only just realising that it was the cause of his demanding aches. He swayed, almost collapsing when his arms threatened to give out, and Levi only tightened his grip. Ever careful of the claws that were kept out of the way of delicate flesh, Levi let Eren rock and rut his hand, crooning encouragement to the dazed mer.

It was a strange sensation, familiar from one time before, and Eren’s face heated at the memory. Images of Levi in a similar state, panting harshly, at the mercy of an Eren that had been more naïve.

The mermaid wasn’t much wiser now, at least in the ways of this kind of intimacy, but Levi didn’t seem to mind.

Eren struggled for more air, exhausted but determined for the relief that he knew awaited him at the end of this process. Had he any more energy, Eren would have even tried to return the same pleasure to Levi. Alas, it was all he could do to remain upright and rock at a steady rhythm, mouth open and breathing raggedly, helplessly.

One ache was being sated, and yet another remained. It throbbed inside of him, the desire for something that Eren was only just beginning to comprehend. His mind sobbed, _not enough_ , even as his body was helpless to ask for more.

And then Levi growled, something dark and frustrated, and Eren’s world shifted before he could ask what was wrong. Levi tipped them sideways, lifting one of Eren’s legs so that he could throw it over his side. Eren put shaky hands atop Levi’s head, pawing at damp, black strands in query as his whimpering seemed to be going ignored.

Levi gripped the mer’s cock, blushing pink and weeping for attention, and as Eren began to relax into the familiar once more he was startled again. Something prodded at the tender skin of his rear, the contact wet and brief. It made the mermaid jolt and a surprised trill escaped him. A hand slid over one of the plump globes of Eren’s behind, claws careful, and the pads of fingers pushing to coax the cheek to part from its twin a little.

Levi flicked his tail, much happier with his current positioning as it left both of his hands free instead of requiring one to hold his weight. He found his target, tiny as it was: a flushed ring of muscle – the blushing mouth exposed from its hiding place between plump cheeks. He tongued it again, hearing Eren’s worried squeak but _tasting_ an impossible sweetness. The barest hint of moisture from within. Eren may have been confused but his body, his instincts, knew enough to kick into gear. Slicking was slower outside of heat but easily possible with the right attention.

Luckily for the mermaid, Eren’s relief was the only thing on the agenda.

Eren writhed, whining out his uncertainty as Levi directed his mouth over sensitive but as yet unexplored areas, coaxing the skin to wet. Upon sensing the mermaid’s distress, Levi growled to him, a low sound not meant for ears but for skin, and didn’t let up on the sound until Eren relaxed under his hands.

Palm laid upon the ground, Eren cushioned the side of his face against the back of his hand. He panted there, heated air pushed out to mingle with the chilly air of the cave, while Levi resumed his ministrations. Licked again, drawing air from Eren’s lungs in a huff. Lids lowered, mind hazy with the pleasure. That wet pressure came again and Eren shut his eyes but did not flinch this time, breathing quickly through his nose in apprehension of whatever would come next.

The muscle gave way under Levi’s tongue, which seemed longer than Eren might have suspected as it delved into him upon gaining access. Eren’s eyes snapped open and he wailed, unsure of the new sensation, but the pressure shifted within him before he could think to panic. Pleasure burst within him and Eren grew tense with it, body going limp a moment later.

A questioning bleat left the young mer’s throat, and as that rich bliss spread inside again Eren realised with wonder that, despite his doubts, Levi could in fact reach and soothe every needy ache in him. A clever merman indeed. A well suited mate.

Having discovered the triggers to his little mate’s bliss, Levi worked them to his advantage. The mermaid shook with pleasure, mewling and clutching at the raven’s hair with a trembling hand.

Levi thrilled at Eren’s every keen, satisfied with the sweetness on his tongue and the way Eren’s body jumped at every touch. The mermaid was so sensitive inside and Levi was relieved with that. It would make their first coupling much easier, and all thereafter a delightful intimacy to be shared. A mercy of nature, and Levi was grateful.

Eren throbbed in his hand and tightened around his tongue, the mermaid calling to Levi with uncertainty.

Another press against that needy spot inside the brunet had him tensing, silent but for the cracking of air leaving in a staccato rush. Levi withdrew his tongue as Eren spilled himself onto the rock, chest heaving. The mermaid sucked in air, but he was calming rather than getting himself worked up and Levi considered that a triumph.

The merman moved, rolling Eren onto his back and away from the mess that he’d made, observing the panting mer with fond eyes. Flushed, skin damp with scent and sweat and smatterings of seed, and Eren had never looked more precious. Eyes glassy and tired, sluggish hands reaching for Levi, quiet mewls begging for sleep.

The merman came to him, slowly crawling, pausing to clean the little puddles of white off of Eren’s skin. Eren gasped through the process, hands clutching tight to Levi’s shoulders as he endured the overstimulation. Exhaling in a gust of relief when it was over, and Levi came to nuzzle into his embrace with a deep croon. Eren’s toes curled at the sound, his eyes drifting closed once he was tucked safe and warm against Levi’s chest.

Levi shut his eyes as well, feeling Eren’s overheated skin against him, the way Eren went slack and boneless in his satisfaction – completely tuckered out.

It was a good time for sleep. Both were fed, Eren from Levi’s hunt and Levi from snagging fish along the way, and tired from the long day.

Clawed hands trailed through Eren’s hair, claws light and careful as they raked against the mermaid’s scalp. A gentle motion, the sensation helping to soothe Eren’s skin after the onslaught of orgasm. Levi listened in the quiet to sounds of water droplets and Eren’s soft breathing, slowing to a steady and repeated rhythm.

The little mer was quick to fall asleep and Levi was quick to follow him.

 

Sounds of crunching woke Eren and he blinked his eyes open to discover that it was morning. A little way away sat Levi, lazing where he was draped over the rock, tail in the water, and mouth busy crushing up the bones of the fish from last night. The bones had been forgotten, but they served as a nice snack for the merman now.

Upon hearing the movement, Levi turned to eye Eren. He warbled a greeting, holding out a bone in offer to which Eren shook his head no. He was hungry, yes, but not for bones alone.

Levi seemed to notice that, beckoning Eren over with a toss of his head and clicking at him. Glad to be invited over, Eren stretched and rolled onto his hands and knees to pad his way over. Levi raised the arm nearest to the little mer when he got closer and Eren ducked under it, tucking himself alongside the merman’s body. Levi lowered his arm again, curling it around the mermaid to squeeze Eren fondly for a moment. He returned to his task then, picking through the bones and eating them one by one. Jaws working to crush them into something more manageable for the merman’s digestive system.

And while he ate, still quiet and lazy from waking, he let Eren nestle beside him. It was an odd sort of intimacy, but Eren found that he liked it. He didn’t feel out of place lying there next to Levi, nor did he feel pressured to behave any specific way or do any specific thing. He just got to lay there and enjoy Levi’s presence, receiving the occasional squeeze or sniff or glance.

Warm and docile in his morning routine, if any of this was normal for Levi. He seemed so calm, almost sleepy. The merman was mostly focused on his food, but from time to time he would lean over to nose at Eren’s hair or nuzzle the side of his face a little forcefully.

Eren recognised it as affection rather than a sign to move away, as Levi did not shove him to move him. Mermen were used to living alone, and so their being rough did not surprise Eren. Levi was not worryingly rough with Eren, but he did not hold back from letting the mermaid know that he had Levi’s attention, had his interest. It was teasing in a way, playful in the way Levi seemed most comfortable with being. He simply butted their heads together, making low, pleased little growling noises when Eren pushed back.

The brunet beamed, happy that he was pleasing Levi in some basic way. He had such a good mate, so strong and wild and good. Impossibly good.

Eren turned his head, taking a moment to really look at Levi while the merman was busy with the distraction of snapping bones with his teeth. Sharp teeth, but never violent against Eren. The same with his hands, made to tear and rip and kill, and yet all they did with Eren was be gentle unless there was some threat nearby. Levi was either gentle or firm, but never violent. Not towards his mate.

Perhaps it was this way with all mermen…perhaps they were only ever seen as violent because their mates were the only cure to that power. A living key to quell rage…or unleash it.

Eren wondered at the incredible power of the beast that lazed next to him, marvelled at how much control over Levi he might have. At a whim from Eren, Levi could end lives, churn lakes, and fill the air with the thunder of his voice in threat. That was a power that Eren hadn’t expected to have.

Nor did he know what to do with it, now that it was realised.

He would need to be careful not to stir Levi into anger against anything that did not deserve it. He would have to take care of this beast that would be his mate, that was his mate in all but bond, and make sure that Levi was never left to lash out alone.

Teal eyes focused again, and Eren trailed his gaze over the merman.

Levi was glorious. His skin was still pale, a slate grey that never seemed to change. Levi’s scales, though, were so rich against that pale skin. Deep and vibrant blue shone in the dull light let in from cracks above, magnificent even in shade. Levi was beautiful in the peak of his display. The very sight of him made Eren flush with a kind of pleasure that was more linked to pride than sensation. He was filled with delighted warmth inside to know that this merman was his. That Levi wanted him. And that want, that desire, manifested itself in the merman’s beautiful colouring. Even the delicate skin of Levi’s fins seemed brighter, a light bluish-green as opposed to their pallid colours when Eren had first encountered the raven. And the _smell_ of him…whenever Eren noticed it he could barely think straight. Levi’s scales were heavy with scent, the air around them was thick with it. But there was no lust in the merman. He was calm, and that calm extended over to Eren as he breathed in the scent of his mate. Dizzying, the pheromones clouded any doubt or worry from Eren’s mind and let him breathe easily.

The little mer relaxed a bit, folding his arms in front of him and laying his head there, still pressed close to Levi.

For a while the crunch and grind of bones in Levi’s mouth was the only noise in the cave. But then Levi was finished and he began to preen, almost too quietly.

The mermaid stretched, blinked over at Levi, then closed his eyes and breathed in carefully.

Levi’s concern was obvious, however casual he seemed to be acting now. It was apparent in the swell of his scent in the air, potent and soothing on Eren’s frazzled instincts. Levi was working hard to keep Eren from fretting. Trying to soothe him, and hunt away any lingering fear or unpleasantness from the past days.

The mermaid was coping with change already, having found his mate, been attacked by unfavourable mers, kidnapped, and taken to the lake by Levi all in a spans of days. Eren was exhausted and he would have to face much more change soon. For now, though, Levi could spend his efforts solely on comforting the little mer.

They had days of travel ahead of them, but not just yet. Levi wouldn’t risk moving Eren so soon after all that…excitement. The threat of the land mers was still present and Levi had a feeling that they wouldn’t move on right away. His instincts had the merman edgy and eager to move on, but Eren needed rest if he was going to be able to make the trek to the coast. It would be a hard trip on the mermaid. They had a long way to go, and Levi couldn’t accompany Eren on land without hindering their progress. It would be slow going any way they looked at it, but if it came down to it Levi was willing to carrying the mermaid as far as Eren would allow. The little mer was still a bit panicky around deeper water, anywhere that he couldn’t reach land or touch the bottom with his feet, and there would not be sufficient time to teach Eren to paddle before they left.

The little mer squirmed beside Levi then, subtly like he was trying to go unnoticed. There was no way to be subtle with how close they were pressed, and Levi had intended for it to be that way.

He shifted with a low, lazy sound and rolled the mermaid over easily. Eren squeaked, surprised at the action, and blinked up at Levi when the merman hovered over him a moment later, tail carefully coiled to keep his weight off of the smaller mer. Eren was shying, trying to squirm away when Levi started sniffing and pressing in places with careful knuckles.

Searching for tender skin and the quiet yelps of protest that alerted Levi to the presence of injuries that had not yet healed. Eren was unhappy with the treatment and he made it known, first with whimpers and then with little, moody growls when Levi did not relent.

Levi blinked unimpressed silvers down at him and continued his search, licking at the pinked skin of healing scratches where he found them. It was necessary to keep them clean, and the healing aid of merman saliva would speed Eren’s recovery. They would need that advantage to begin travelling. Eren endured the bath, head tipping from side to side and miserable little sniffles sounding every once in a while. He knew Levi was just trying to take care of him and eventually the stinging in healing areas began to grow numb. Things were more tolerable after that.

When he was done, the raven moved up to Eren’s face to lick him there, playfully, until the mermaid stopped pouting and huffing. Levi liked being able to take care of Eren, able to hunt for him and provide warmth and safety, able to clean and heal and please him. It was good to be useful.

Good to be welcomed by warm hands, to be tugged down to nuzzle even after Eren had been moody at him. Only brief annoyance, and more at the discomfort of injury than at Levi’s actions which had only ever been to soothe. Eren was pleased enough now, aches and pains drugged into silence by Levi’s saliva. Those wounds should be healed almost fully by the time the sun rose tomorrow.

It had yet to set, though. There were still plenty of hours left in the day, and Levi would be sure to tend to Eren’s wounds until they settled to sleep again when nightfall came.

But first, the merman had to seek out something for his young mate to eat. Eren would need to stock up on nutrients, as they would have less time to stop for food once their journey began. With a few, quiet clicks, Levi announced that he would be leaving to hunt. Eren pouted at the thought of being left alone, but nuzzled him goodbye all the same.

Levi was more careful with his own goodbyes this time, not wanting to stir Eren into another frenzy of lust. The merman wasn’t as tired, would be more interested in other forms of pleasure, and he had no intention of introducing Eren to proper mating until they were at their final home.

Levi’s lair. His true lair. If it was still in his possession and had not been claimed by some other foolish sea creature, that was. It was an ideal spot; a cave partway up a cliff, with a rocky path leading to the outside from within, and an underwater entrance. Air and a single, large island of stone was at the lair’s centre, surrounded by ocean water for Levi to soak in at his leisure. The tide could cut off the underwater access point to the cave, making it safe from most of the nastier creatures of the sea that might try and enter the cave. The cave itself was a bowl-like hollow in the rock of the cliff, ensuring that there would always be water caught there from rain or high tides, and Levi could easily climb his way back down through damp tunnels to dive into the sea should the need arise. Eren, too, would be able to go onto dry land and access the shore once he mastered the path of jutting rocks that led up a little way to an exit out onto gentle, sloping land behind the great cliff face. The mer would be able to sun himself, get some fresh air, or search for food up there that was not fish or seaweed.

Levi flushed with pride at the memory of his chosen home – triumph swelling in him when he thought of how good the place would be for his little Eren.

He couldn’t get distracted now, though. Eren still needed his morning meal.

Levi dove, spending long minutes in the chilly waters of the lake and delighting in the rush of it as he chased after prey. He returned with fish after fish until Eren couldn’t force another morsel past his lips. Eren pushed what he could not eat towards the merman, uttering grateful chirps and collapsing happily onto his side.

The unwanted fish were quickly devoured by a seemingly ravenous Levi who made several more trips below before he was satisfied.

When he returned, it was to a sleepy and worn out Eren. The mermaid was stretched out and tired, sleepy from eating so much. His belly was a little distended, swollen from the big meal, and Eren yawned mightily. He whined, an oddly happy sound, and reached out with heavy arms to beckon Levi over.

The merman approached, dragging himself over and arranging himself behind the little mer, careful not to jostle and upset him. Eren didn’t seem bothered by Levi’s careful hold on him. He just yawned again, nestling down to sleep and allow his body to take in all the nutrients that Levi had brought to him.

Such a good mate, wild in some ways and yet almost tamed in others. Willing to kill for Eren on his worst days, and spend hours caring for him on the good days.

As he settled down for a midday nap, Eren wondered what kind of days would come in his future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #BRINGONTHEMERPORN lives at last!!
> 
> Well...there's more of it to come. But that's in future chapters. Hope you guys enjoyed the fluff and mer-cuddles!


	20. Begin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Couldn't think of a properly accurate name for this chapter, so fuck it.

Of all the things that Levi had been prepared to deal with, boredom had not been one of them.

Two whole days passed by and Eren was growing tired of being cooped up in the gloomy little cave. If the little mer was trying to hide his behaviour, then he was doing a terrible job of it. Eren slumped down against the cold stone and didn’t move much from there, blinking idly at the little cracks above where light made it through. Loud sighs rushed from his lungs every so often. Food was accepted when it was brought to him, and Levi brought Eren more food that the mermaid had ever had before in his lifetime, but eating and sleeping seemed to be the only things on Levi’s mind.

Eren wanted to play. He longed to stretch and run, missing the cool tickle of grass against his skin. Eren couldn’t even sun himself. There was no room for running on the little islands here, and Levi didn’t look like he’d be much fun to wrestle with. Maybe if they were out in the open, surrounded by soft grass and warm sun, then Eren wouldn’t mind the merman pinning him.

Here, though, it was cramped enough. Eren was bored and he was sure that Levi knew it. Whenever the mermaid tried to initiate a game, Levi would coax him back down to rest or disappear under the water, off to hunt or just to swim, Eren did not know. All he knew was that Levi disappeared a lot and it was boring without him there.

He ate. He slept. He yowled sometimes when Levi had been away too long and not very much time ever passed before the merman would come back to him. Levi always came back when Eren called, even if he returned wearing a look of exasperation.

It was a fond look, if a weary one.

Levi hushed him with quiet but urgent croons, gathered the little mer close and snuggled him for a few, precious moments. Those moments were Eren’s favourites. Levi would pull him close and share warmth, purring so low that sometimes Eren could barely even hear it but he could always feel the happy vibrations. Nothing soothed him better. That, the possessive way Levi mouthed at the scales on his throat, and the lazy scenting were enough to brighten most moods. The merman was busy, with what Eren did not know, but when he was with Eren he worshipped the little mer. Groomed him, held him tight. Drowned Eren with scent when he would rub their scales together.

And then left, when Eren was dazed and happy again, quiet for the meantime.

It must have been necessary. Levi would never abandon his mate, and he wouldn’t leave Eren alone without a good reason. Eren could only assume that the reason would be distressing. If it were just anything, Levi would have let him know.

Every few hours, Levi would return to the cave with green plant life, dripping with water and sticky with viscous sap. Gentle hands pressed the plants into the mermaid’s mouth, coaxing with fond croons and affectionate fingers rubbing silent encouragement into heated scales. Eren chewed the offered plants and swallowed them down dutifully. Regretted it every time. They tasted awful and Eren didn’t know why Levi kept making him eat it. The aftertaste stuck in the mermaid’s mouth for a long time, too, but it did seem to be helping to soothe the itch that kept starting up just under his skin. Warmth and restlessness stirred in the brunet, held at bay by bitter flora.

The reprieve was appreciated. It was better than baking in his own skin.

Eren watched the stony ceiling with sulking eyes and hoped that they could go outside again soon.

 

Their current arrangement was not an ideal one. Levi knew that much easily, could see that Eren was not a patient creature. The poor little mer just wanted to be able to explore and run around for a bit, but he was stuck for the moment.

Eren would just have to endure it a little longer.

A massive group of the land mers had been scurrying around the lake the whole day after Levi had brought Eren back to his temporary home. The smell of them was thick in the air, their presence calling Levi away to patrol the lake and check on their whereabouts. The merman had left his cave every few hours or so to keep an eye on the pesky creatures. He had to leave Eren alone to do so and occasionally his careful patrols were sabotaged by the mermaid’s doleful calling.

It wasn’t fair to Eren, the poor little mer was going crazy being cooped up in that cave. There was nothing to be done but comfort him when things became too much.

Like every time the little brunet woke up alone.

Patrols were abandoned in favour of getting to Eren and quietening him before he could attract the attention of the searching land mers. Levi thanked the stars that he was a fast swimmer, able to reach his cave in no time. The look on Eren’s face when Levi arrived continued to try and shatter the raven’s heart. Wide, sad eyes brightened the instant they spotted Levi approaching, and mournful howling dried up in the Eren’s throat. The lonely little mer happily cuddled against Levi’s chest whenever the merman heaved himself out of the water to check on him. Usually a little crooning and grooming could get the mermaid settled again, but not always. Sometimes Eren demanded attention, whining the moment Levi tried to sneak away to patrol again, and the raven would be forced to stay until he could coax his mate to sleep.

It was hard on them both, but Levi feared that the whole experience was harder on Eren.

Eren wasn’t used to being alone. He had grown up surrounded by other mermaids, always having playmates. Always having someone to entertain or cuddle or feed him. Always having that care. That much was obvious in the mermaid’s actions, how he couldn’t even sulk alone for long before he would come padding back, nuzzling and settling down next to Levi as he dozed. It was hard to keep an eye on the land mers _and_ tend to Eren when the little mer didn’t handle isolation well.

Eren needed company. He thrived on it.

And Levi could not give him even that all the time.

Levi had never hated this place, but he hated it now as it forced him to prolong their stay. Every day lost grated on his nerves and increased Eren’s boredom.

There was nothing to be done about it. Levi continued to bring Eren constant meals, encouraging him to eat even when he wasn’t hungry. The energy would be needed for their trip, and Levi promised himself that they would leave soon.

Even if he had to slash his way through every one of those vile land mers, he would take Eren from this place the moment it was safe to do so.

 

That afternoon, as Eren watched the sun set for the third time since he’d been brought to Levi’s cave, he noted a difference in Levi’s behaviour.

The moment the merman pulled himself up onto their rock, he called to Eren with a throaty sound. There was hardly time for Eren to look up, let alone think to answer or go to the merman, because in the next instant Levi was right there. Eren blinked wide eyes as Levi paused right in front of him, grey eyes filling Eren’s vision for a moment, before he was greeted with a forceful nuzzle. It was more than he had been prepared for, upsetting his balance, and Eren gave a surprised mewl as he was rolled onto his back.

Eren let Levi settle there, even if he was heavy, and endured an enthusiastic bath via Levi’s tongue. Looking up at the slivers of orangey sky visible above, Eren started purring. With some difficulty, still bearing quite a bit of Levi’s weight, but he couldn’t help the reaction. It was the first moment of affection that Levi had bothered to initiate for a while, without Eren having to whine and cry for him first.

Something had changed, then, but Eren didn’t let himself worry about it. He basked in the first real attention he’d had in a while, squirming to look for an easier or more comfortable position. Somewhere behind Levi, the merman’s tail could be heard sliding across the stone.

He sure was eager about something.

Eren yipped at him, happy for the attention but uncomfortable with so much weight squishing his belly, still settling from all the food Levi had brought him throughout the day. He pawed at the raven’s head until he tilted his head back to assess the reason for Eren’s squirming. It took a moment, but Levi eventually identified Eren’s winded whines for what they were and shifted.

Relief. Eren panted happily, watching Levi hover nearby as the mermaid found a more comfortable place to lie on his side.

There wasn’t much time to nestle down before Levi was on him again, more carefully this time. The merman hovered, ducking down to nip at Eren’s ears. Ears that flattened and flicked under the treatment, until Eren trilled and cuffed Levi gently, pawing at his head in playful confusion. It was beyond good to have Levi so affectionate, not darting away to check on something or go hunting, but Eren wanted to know why.

Levi tossed his head as he settled down beside the mermaid, biting again at Eren’s jaw this time. He didn’t seem to be in an explaining mood.

But if something was wrong, Levi wouldn’t keep it from Eren. Which meant things were fine, or well enough. And that boded well for Eren because if Levi wasn’t busy with worry, he could stay here.

The merman seemed to be in somewhat of a playful mood, which almost didn’t suit him. Levi had always been the calmer of them, but that made sense. He was older; he had lived a more solitary life. Levi was reliable. So Eren found it a little strange to find the merman being the one leering at him with mischief, nipping and stirring the young mer. And it was working, if not in the way Eren was used to playing. Still, Levi didn’t seem put off when Eren started up with a little, feisty growling. The sound was nothing like Levi could make, not really intimidating at all, and Levi seemed more amused by Eren’s riled posturing. Eren lunged, setting his teeth against Levi’s shoulder, and he realised what it was he was doing in time to hear the merman chortling at him.

Well…Levi’s games were very different from the ones that Eren was used to playing with his podmates. Rougher, surely. But the merman wasn’t even phased by Eren’s playful gnawing, nowhere near harsh enough to break the skin.

If anything Levi seemed pleased by the rough affection, bringing up a hand to grip at the back of Eren’s neck to scruff him. The mermaid kicked out a leg at the feeling, and he licked at the pinked indents left behind by his teeth. It was a strange way to play, but Levi didn’t seem to mind at all. He was used to much harsher treatment, though, and Eren was all that concerned about hurting the merman. He had no intentions of doing so on purpose.

The afternoon passed too quickly. Eren basked in the attention he was given, not even minding when the raven had to dip below the surface to hunt for their evening meal. Eren made good use of the time, trying his best to get control of his aching scales. Levi had noticed the way scent slowly eased from the younger mer’s scales. It put him in a strange state. Much more affectionate.

Not that the attention was a bad thing. Eren adored being held close, strong arms tight around him, mouth affectionate against his heating flesh but absent of teeth.

Levi knew when to hold back, at least in some ways.

Held tight again, tucked against the merman’s chest, Eren found himself drifting into sleep.

 

The sun had yet to rise when Eren woke, nudged into consciousness by a gentle but insistent Levi. Eren let out a quiet, yawning noise of protest and attempted to nestle back down to sleep, eyes drifting closed again.

Another nudge stirred the mermaid again, a little more forceful this time. Levi was restless. He was clicking in the dark of the cave, butting his head against Eren’s shoulders. Sleepy eyes blinked open, seeking out Levi’s face in the gloomy light available. Outside there was the barely there glow of the sun, still climbing towards the horizon. Eren’s eyes were wide to take in what light there was, blinking up at a hovering Levi.

The merman chittered the moment he had Eren’s attention, ducking his head to push at the smaller mer’s shoulder. And Eren followed his lead this time, taking note of Levi’s strangely urgent behaviour.

They had to go. Levi made that clear when he woke Eren only to immediately dive to get them fish for morning meal. It wasn’t as extravagant a meal as yesterday’s lunch had been, as Levi seemed to be avoiding the sleepy aftermath of eating a more hearty meal. The merman helped Eren along with his meal, mashing meat and soft bone to make the mermaid’s job easier, and then scarfed down the remaining fish.

Excitement buzzed through the little mer as he waited for Levi to finish. He padded back and forth around what little land there was available to him, eager to be free of the confining cave. It felt like an eternity to Eren since he’d last gotten to feel the sun. Only a few days, in reality. He would be glad to feel wind against him again and grass beneath his fingers.

And then they were leaving. Levi gathered Eren in close and soothed him for a bit, nuzzling and gripping at the back of his neck to scuff him and release drugging chemicals until the mermaid was limp in his arms.

The next thing Eren was aware of was the sting of air in his lungs as Levi roused him gently on a low area of the shore of the lake, after yet another blurry experience of underwater travel. Eren pulled in air like a startled newborn, coughing and choking while Levi soothed a hand along his back, crooning low by his ear. The merman helped Eren up the slippery banks, granting Eren time enough to come to terms with breathing on his own again after the slow oxygen feed.

But they couldn’t wait long. Levi was on edge, hauling himself up the banks to keep watch for any sign of threats.

Eren grew wary just watching the constant twitch of Levi’s ears, the rapid tilt of his head, and harshly narrowed eyes. It was better to let him fret than insist that things were fine. After all Levi would know better than Eren about the monitoring of threats, at least without the help of a pod. Levi stretched up, hands pressing into the mud to keep his head up high. Wary eyes slitted, taking in the surrounds. He sniffed, flicked his ears, remaining deathly still all the while. Even his colours dimmed a fraction, a duller and blotted shade taking place of brighter blue hues. A necessity, perhaps? Some instinctual camouflage, Eren suspected. It made the little mer wary, too. The stillness was unsettling, and Eren could imagine Levi remaining motionless like this while unknowing creatures passed by, oblivious to his presence. Oblivious to the danger.

Sometimes the mermaid forgot that his mate was a top predator.

Eren clicked for the merman’s attention and Levi blinked over at him, breaking the spell of stillness at last. A relieved breath left the mermaid as Levi rolled a shoulder and gave up on his camouflage, no longer playing the watchful gargoyle. Seeing that the brunet was ready, Levi gave an acknowledging snuffle. He rolled himself back into the lake with a quiet splash.

The mermaid watched Levi’s silhouette move away from him in the water, swimming for a break in the bank. Water pushed through from there, and Eren realised it was the mouth of a river feeding into the lake. An entrance to this body of water.

Or an exit.

The mermaid blinked with awareness as he looked around properly.

Strange. The trees here were different, less densely packed, and the grass was shorter and without so many reeds. There was more grassy space between the tree line and the lake’s edge.

This was a place that was unfamiliar to Eren, further down the lake than he had ever been. Levi was heading for the river, turning back to bark for Eren to follow.

And Eren might have hesitated a few days ago. Might have paused and wondered. Might have feared travelling with this water bound beast. But Eren did not hesitate; he scampered along the shoreline after the merman. Levi waited with his head above the surface, eyes slitted, treading water while Eren got closer.

The merman had devised somewhat of a plan. He wanted to make this trip as quick as possible, not liking the idea of Eren being out in the open and so near to his peak. Mermaids travelled in pods for a reason and there were only so many places along the way that would be safe for the pair to sleep.

Levi would just have to improvise on that.

But he planned to travel at whatever pace Eren could manage on shore for as long as they could. Once Eren was tired, Levi could carry him through the river. Above the surface, maybe on his back, or cradled on his chest.

Neither of them could afford to completely tire themselves out. Not if they were going to be away from proper shelter.

Eren was scurrying after him, padding back and forth on the banks when he reached the merman, and Levi swam further. Coaxed the mermaid towards the river, led him along the banks there. And slowly Eren seemed to get the message. Levi never swam very far ahead of him and, eventually, Eren knew to keep walking. They moved in stages until Levi could keep swimming, maintaining a steady pace alongside Eren’s walking pace on the shore.

Occasionally the merman broke the surface, sending encouraging chirps Eren’s way. Most of the time he lurked below the river’s surface, a constant outline of blue scale and grey skin below the glittering water.

Above them the sun was risen at last, waking the world with a chilly dawn. It was bright, though, and the light filtered through trees easily enough to show Eren easy paths through boulder-strewn ground. The mountains stretched skywards beside Eren, the sun shining down from the opposite side of the sky as it climbed gradually higher.

And with the light came wonder. Eren’s eyes marvelled at the new land, all the same things; trees and grass, flowers and reeds ruffled by the breeze, dirt and moss and rocks. But they were all new, in their own ways, too. Eren had never rolled about in this grass, nor had he ever sunned himself on the large boulders that jutted up from the earth. He had never buried his face in the flowers that grew around the bases of rocks, had never breathed in their pollen only to sneeze it back out again. There wasn’t time to do all of those things here now, either. Levi was determined to set the pace, and Eren let him. For the moment it was enough just to bound alongside the merman, taking in everything with wide eyes.

They startled a lot of perched birds along their way, but Eren suspected now was not the time to go off chasing them. He had eaten already.

Fish tore off out of Levi’s way, even though the merman made no attempt to chase them. Eren watched the haphazard paths that the little creatures made through the water in their terror, darting for the cover of sunken branches.

Everywhere, life teemed. Insects flitted about, some seeking out flowers, others landing on the water with odd grace. A dragonfly passed Eren’s face with a loud buzz, chasing its friend through the air.

These Eren did chase, for they at least flew in the direction he was meant to be heading for a while.

Levi kept pace with him, easily fast enough when he wanted to be to match the speed of a happily dashing mermaid. The merman was surprisingly patient. He didn’t bark in annoyance every time Eren scampered over to smell a new flower he hadn’t seen before, or order him back on their way at Eren’s every distraction.

A particularly large, falling leaf that Eren simply had to jump after and catch before it reached the ground.

Every butterfly that wandered too close.

A nesting duck that Eren just had to disturb, apparently thinking that he would get a different reaction to the loud hissing and flapping that ensued.

The enormous trunk of a fallen tree that the mermaid made into his playground in an instant, little claws digging into the bark, legs working to push him up. He had yapped down at Levi from a thick branch that extended partways over the river.

In truth, Levi hoped that it would make up for the guilt he had felt keeping the excitable little mer cooped up for the past few days. There had been nothing to distract him there. And Eren did get distracted quite often out here. There was just so much for him to see and it was clearly overwhelming in the best of ways. Eren hardly knew which way to turn, always seeking out the next wonderful thing.

But he always came scuttling back when he was done with his latest little game. Continued trotting along the riverbank, following after Levi and letting the merman swim just that little bit ahead.

And just swimming alongside this energetic little creature, watching Eren slow his eager bounding to a more practical pace, made Levi feel content. He felt calm, finally. Heading away from the lake, away from a place he had been called to without knowing what he might find there. Leaving with a whole other life in his care.

Now he was heading home, and with company. Levi was eager, in his own way, although he doubted Eren would notice, too caught up with his own excitement. But the merman was anticipating bringing Eren home. Showing the little mer his territory, the water, the sheer cliffs and the cove. All of it.

They would have time, and no land mers to bother them. Eren could finally learn to swim.

Levi could take the time to teach him, and then they could enjoy the water together. All of Levi’s territory could belong to Eren equally once the little mer overcame his wariness.

Levi couldn’t wait to swim with him.

 

Around half an hour into their trip, Levi burst from the surface to hiss urgently at Eren. A sound, some threat, and they were off at lightning speed.

Eren scampered ahead of the merman, wanting to whimper in fear and confusion. He wouldn’t, though, until they were away from whatever Levi was hearing. It couldn’t have been good from the venomous looks that Levi aimed back behind them, ears flicked forward. He urged Eren onwards, encouraged him to keep following the river.

Whatever the danger had been, Levi eventually deemed that they had escaped it.

The trip had already lost some of its merriment, though.

Levi was less patient now, urging Eren to pick up the pace. There was no time for exploring. No time for new things. Keep moving. Stay on the grass. Don’t let them track you.

The pack of land mers seemed to be Levi’s concern. He didn’t want to be followed by them, kept hearing their racket in the distance, and it had set him on edge.

So they marched on. And on. And even with the threat of land mers behind them, Eren couldn’t help but feel…bored.

Eren found himself growing weary of the constant drive forwards. His eyes wandered, seeking out clusters of flowers and bees that he longed to visit, or birds that landed foolishly low that he might chase. Every time he strayed even a little, Levi was there with a barking command to follow, already halfway up the banks. Ready to leave the water and drag the mermaid back if he had to, unwilling to risk Eren’s safety for the sake of a game. Stern-eyed and exasperated, calling Eren back to the river’s edge.

No time for play, it seemed. It was a mopey Eren that came trailing back, head hanging between his shoulders and dejected huffs falling from his mouth.

Levi warbled for him, a low sound in his throat, and when Eren looked up he was met with an apologetic grey stare. Eren accepted the repentant nuzzles that Levi welcomed him with. It didn’t make the mermaid any happier, but he understood that Levi wasn’t treating him unkindly. Hadn’t banned him from playing altogether. Just for now, while there was any chance of danger. The merman was simply urgent, eager to keep them moving. Eager to get them to safety, to their new home, and Eren was eager to find out where their end destination would be.

It would have to be some place wonderful if Levi was so eager to get there, keeping them at a busy pace.

Although he would rather play in the grass, Eren trotted onwards. He would just have to enjoy the day in other ways, feeling the grass beneath his hands, looking up at the smattering of fluffy clouds above. The air was cold around them but the sun was warm where it touched his skin.

Not that Eren needed any warmth – his skin felt hot already.

Levi seemed aware of his discomfort. The merman kept a close eye on Eren from below the water, sending splashes up at him from time to time to cool him off. Eren appreciated the effort. The water felt nice, and he almost wanted to lie in the shallower parts of the river for a while. He pottered on, though, sniffing idly at flowers within his reach. Eren hung his head but didn’t stray too far from the river’s edge. He didn’t want to upset Levi and distractions were less of a problem when the mermaid was only focusing on the grass in front of him.

He would just have to be patient. For now.

 

Their first stop wasn’t until the sun was high in the sky, and Eren was already tired. When Levi paused, coiling idly about in the river, and announced with a few clicks that they were stopping, Eren whined with relief.

The little mer slumped onto the grass with a happy sound, rolling onto his side and closing his eyes. At least for a moment Eren could enjoy the tickling grass. He could hear Levi splashing about in the water, probably busy searching for some kind of food or maybe just looking for the easiest spot with which to leave the river. Eren paid him no mind, taking what time he could to enjoy the softness beneath him and letting his body rest. Levi would want to keep moving soon. They still had a long ways to go. It was clear in the way Levi kept up their pace, but swam without growing eagerness – they were on the right path but not close to their home, yet.

A new home beckoned. Somewhere far away, and yet hopefully not so far as to make visiting Eren’s pod impossible, lay a place where both Levi and Eren could be safe. The thought of it pulled Eren’s heart in strange directions, missing his pod and its constant company but longing the intimate privacy of making a home with Levi.

Eren’s hands flexed over the grass, little claws pressing into the earth as he kneaded the soil there in absent thought. Instincts to gather materials and prepare bedding, to build a nest, rose up in him fiercely.

The mermaid wondered what their new home would be like. What would it look like? Where would Eren find places to press pulled grass and leaves, to pack in moss to sleep on?

He would find out soon enough, and the thought spread warmth in his chest. Eren dozed, breathing in the smell of grass and dirt, soothed by the skittering thrum of insects.

Fish were left by Eren’s head, and Levi nuzzled the dozing mer’s shoulder before he headed back for the river.

Eren woke and ate his fish. He organised the bigger bones into a shape one of the clouds above was making.

Splashing announced Levi’s presence again, and the merman returned with plants, wet from the riverbed. Washed free of dirt at least, it would be a clean meal. Eren found that it wasn’t a meal, exactly, so much as a treatment. Medicine, according to Levi. It would make him feel better. The plants were cold and bitter on Eren’s tongue and he made a face but chewed at Levi’s vocal encouragement, munching leaves, roots, and all. The merman hovered while Eren ate, sniffing at the mermaid’s hair and throat with interest.

He seemed to be satisfied with what he found. Levi’s sniffing turned to pleased snuffles and he returned to the riverside after a brief nuzzle.

Eren wasn’t sure exactly what he was doing. Watching the fish, perhaps?

A sigh left the mermaid, air leaving him in a rush, and he gazed up at the endless blue of the sky. Beautiful, filled with little clouds. The air was filled with cooling breezes, pleasant against the skin. Everything smelled of flowers and running water.

The sun shone down from above, bathing the ground in warm sunlight, and Eren would be stupid to let such a beautiful day go to waste.

He rolled onto his hands and knees, turning. Mischievous eyes sought out Levi; the merman lazed by the riverbank, staring down into the water. Pushing low to the ground, Eren crept. Little grass blades ticked his belly, but the mermaid was focused on other things. Namely, the oblivious raven.

Levi would want them to move out, to continue travelling, but Eren desperately wanted to play. Even if just for a few, precious moments.

But Levi was strong, and any game Eren played with him would end far too quickly if the raven was aware that they were playing. But if the mermaid could just manage to take him by surprise…he might be in with a chance.

He paused a little ways away, considering. He could choose not to pounce.

But where would have been the fun in that?

Huddled down against the grass, Eren coiled to spring. He shifted the grass, the noise alerting Levi to his presence. Closer than he had been before. Levi only had a moment’s notice, turning to click for the brunet only to find him mid-leap. Levi barked in surprise. The merman responded far too quickly for Eren’s liking, catching the mermaid around the middle when he launched at Levi, and letting the momentum carry them to the ground. Levi caught the brunt of the fall, chortling at Eren’s betrayed sounding warble as the merman rolled them onto their sides. Licked at Eren’s ears while the mer grumbled. He held the little mer close, sniffing at Eren’s hair while the brunet huffed and pouted, eyes turned towards the grass to sulk.

Levi was too quick for most of his surprise attacks to work, and Levi got the impression that at times like this Eren thought he was no fun at all.

He indulged where he could, biting gently at Eren’s ear and tugging, careful not to actually hurt the younger mer. Eren retaliated, squirming for freedom but ultimately unable to escape from Levi’s hold. He panted, winded somewhat from his escape efforts, and tossed his head. That at least got his ear free of Levi’s torment, and he flicked said ear against Levi’s face in playful spite.

Heavy arms released Eren finally and he rolled away, crouching and ready in an instant.

Levi, on the other hand, hadn’t moved apart from loosening his hold. He waited, idly licking at the knuckles of one hand while Eren narrowed his eyes and thought out his next move further up the bank. He padded back and forth, grey eyes following his movement all the while, and looked for any angle that might work better than another at taking on the lazy merman.

It seemed to be amusing to the raven. Levi was so confident that he had nothing to worry about that he didn’t even move, just lying there and purring. Watching Eren fondly, while the little mer yapped his frustration.

Levi was a difficult playmate.

He was used to dealing with other mermen, easily capable of darting around and responding to the slightest change in an instant. Even in his casual slump, rolled onto one side with one cheek pressed against the grassy ground, eyes half-lidded as they followed the mermaid, Levi still managed to look intimidating. Eren supposed it was because the raven seemed so sure of himself. Confident that the mermaid couldn’t get the best of him, but patient enough for Eren to try.

For the moment, at least.

And Eren did try, in his own way. Hands and knees picked a path through the grass around the lazing merman, nudging and trying to coerce Levi into playing. Eren pawed at Levi’s fins, slumped over the wider part of his tail and whined, blinking wide, imploring eyes up at the raven.

It became apparent, once again, just how different the two of them were. Levi looked down at Eren with fondness, but there was a hint of frustration in his gaze also. He wanted them to keep moving, to make the most of the daylight hours to travel as far along the river as possible. Eren just wanted to take a moment and have a little fun. Thanks to the effects of the plants Levi had brought him, Eren was free of aches and pains for the first time in days. The little mer wanted to make the most of it.

And Levi was telling him no.

The pads of clawed fingers brushed Eren’s cheek, trying to caress away the brunet’s growing pout. When all else failed, those begging saucer eyes were the only weapon Eren had at his disposal.

And he was by no means fair with their power.

Eren blinked dolefully up at Levi, soft whines leaving his lips on the tail end of every exhale. He whimpered, pleading with his eyes and twisting miserably over the raven’s tail to slump into the grass. Another whine had Levi reaching for him, but Eren pushed away from his hands. He refused to be comforted, adamant to play or pout but not compromise. He crawled off down Levi’s body and took up residence on the merman’s tail. Frowned at the flat fins there and the way they twitched.

Levi clicked at the mermaid, curious. Eren only sniffed in disinterest, settling atop the merman’s flukes and draping his front over the narrow portion of Levi’s tail, arms folded over it further up where it thickened.

He swiped at Levi’s hands when they tried to reach for him, not trying to do any harm but moody now that the merman seemed determined not to play with him. Bared his teeth with no real threat. Traced the outlines of little scales, idly admiring the brilliant blue next to his teal. Levi cooed at him, his voice doing soft things that threatened to shatter Eren’s sour mood.

The merman sounded so sweet when he tried.

He reached again, but Eren rolled away in a last ditched attempt at prolonging their stay.

The little mer tumbled off of the merman and through the grass, sitting up and shaking himself off. He blinked around. Levi was watching him, his eyes a little wide. Eren’s tumble must have been unexpected.

Levi clicked at the mermaid, shifting to get nearer to him. He cooed as he neared Eren, ducking his head to peer at the brunet through his fringe and tempt him with fond eyes.

Another click. They had to go.

Eren sniffed, catching onto Levi’s sly game. Well, less of a game. More of a tactic. Trying to tempt Eren into moving on with quiet sweetness. The mermaid narrowed his eyes at the merman, spotting the precise moment when Levi realised that he was not about to have his way, and let out a shaky breath. Levi looked awfully crafty for a moment, mouth curving into something wry. Blinked the slyness out of his eyes and moved, ever cautiously, forward. Eren made a disgruntled sound in the back of his throat, looking about at the soft grass that stretched on all the way to the tree line and the beautiful blue of the sky above them. It was all so pretty and Eren knew he might never see this place again.

He didn’t want to waste limited opportunities.

When Levi’s fingers brushed Eren’s arm, he dove away again with a protesting yap. He busied himself whining about the past days’ troubles, padding about restlessly in the grass and beating the heels of his palms against the ground in tantrum.

Levi did not look impressed with the display when Eren chanced a glance up at the other mer. The raven watched him with a look of exasperation.

The expression caused a flickering of annoyance to flare inside of Eren, and he barked at the merman. High pitched and provoking. Daring Levi to come and collect him if they needed to leave that badly. Challenging Levi to take him back to the riverside by force, for Eren refused to leave willingly at that time.

Levi blinked at him, head raised, eyes appraising – sizing the little mer up.

It was easy to notice when the merman came to the conclusion that Eren would not be swayed.

Grey eyes narrowed, and Levi darted forwards with a surprising burst of speed. His growling was not threatening, merely frustrated that the mermaid would not cooperate. They were both under strong influences, although Eren would be fine until the effects of the plant sap wore off. All the more reason for them to get moving, as travelling would not be pleasant for an in-heat mermaid. There was no knowing when Eren’s cycle would hit full force, and it would not be a pretty thing to deal with out in the open.

Levi was itching to get moving again, to get home and to safety as quickly as they could manage.

And yet here was this little twerp of a mermaid acting up like some stubborn pup refusing to return home for its dinner. Wanting to keep indulging in its games until the sun was low in the sky, only to come back whining and hungry.

Eren wasn’t quite that bad, but he was still young enough to cling to some of that immaturity. The disadvantages of having a mate only showing his very first signs of readiness to mate, Levi thought.

Levi wanted sleep and safety for them both, while Eren wanted games and adventure.

And, oddly enough, Levi was finding it difficult to put a stop to this particular adventure. He charged the young mer, intending to catch Eren by surprise and pin him before herding the little upstart back to the river. But Eren was not startled into stillness by the sudden movement. In fact the brunet dove out of the way, scrambling with a squeak of alarm.

Eren peered back at Levi, collecting himself, and breathing quickly through his nose. Unscathed and unpinned, staring between them in disbelief that was mirrored in Levi’s wide eyes.

The little mer had never managed to dodge the raven before.

Then again, Eren had rarely tried. Now, though, he had a reason to, and it seemed to add to his mischievous and evasive behaviour.

Levi tried again, working with both the push of his tail and the heave of strong arms to grant him another brief burst of speed.

Curious at his new tactic, Eren went rolling away again. And managed to evade capture. He bleated in elation this time, dashing in an excited circle while Levi paused, baffled.

The little mer had discovered a newfound strength – agility and speed on land.

Levi had always been the faster one, untested against the mermaid. But he had almost always been in the water, and Eren had made a vital discovery. They each had their strong points and, for all his speed and strength, Levi was out of his element when it came to land.

This was Eren’s domain. He’d been darting and bounding around up here for his whole life, and he didn’t need strength to evade the slower merman.

Levi bared his teeth in frustration, hissing briefly in agitation. Not a particularly aggressive sound.

The tables had turned now and Eren warbled teasingly, head ducked low to the ground and spine curving, watching the merman with eyes that were blown wide in newfound glee.

Levi couldn’t catch him. He was too slow up on land, without the advantage of swimming or being close enough to reach out and grab the mermaid. The merman was aware of it too, Eren saw. Grey eyes narrowed, taking in the space between himself and the little mer, and he bared his teeth without a sound.

Planning his next move.

The moment of quiet made Eren suspicious, thinking that maybe Levi might have given up, and he almost padded forward. Levi surged forwards the next second and scratch that, he could move quite quickly on land, but in bursts. A squeal of something between alarm and excitement left Eren’s throat as he dove for cover in some shrubbery, peering out of the leaves to see the merman paused where the mermaid had been sitting a second ago.

Levi snorted, almost glaring over at the greenery where Eren was hiding.

Wide eyes peeped out between gaps in the leaves, watching. The mermaid was easily visible, but Levi would not risk tearing the delicate webbing on his hands by reaching through twigs to get a hold of the little twerp. The merman’s gaze was slitted, calculating rather than angry.

Anger was pointless. It would not help him catch Eren, huddled down in the bushes with a grin plastered on his sweet face.

The little mer was honestly enjoying himself, and Levi couldn’t bring himself to be upset. Frustration still gripped him, but if Eren was so determined to play then they would play. And if Eren tuckered himself out, they were still walking. The brunet would just have to deal with the consequences of his actions. It would simply mean that the mermaid would have no qualms about going to sleep when they stopped for the night.

Eren, not realising that he was actually quite safe in the shrubs despite being close to the merman, scurried out to put some distance between them.

He squealed again, a delighted and shaky sound erupting from his mouth as Levi darted after him, hands snatching for his ankles. But Eren was still faster than him on land, and managed just barely to dive far enough to escape capture. Eren sat up and spun around, eyes wide and alight with mischief. It was a rather startling game, but Eren realised that they were playing nonetheless. Levi looked frustrated, but determined, and Eren was happy for the most part just to be able to run and tumble about.

Eren kept a careful watch on the merman, waiting for the tell-tale coil of muscles that would announce his next strike. The mermaid had made a vital connection. Levi could move quickly, but only for short moments. Movement was more taxing on the merman outside of the water. Levi had to take pause every now and again. Catch his breath. Plot his next move.

Gravity was unkind to the merman, and he only had his arms and tail to push and pull himself around with.

Legs were a distinct advantage.

Eren kept at it, scurrying and never straying too far in case Levi should become discouraged. The merman slithered after him ceaselessly, though. Always so close, excitingly so for Eren and infuriatingly so for Levi. Eren began to wonder if he would be the one to tire first, and be caught by Levi anyway. But he remained careful, conserving his energy and using mischievous whistles to egg Levi on. He tossed his head and warbled even as he danced backwards, enticing Levi to follow by rolling onto his side and pretending to drop his guard.

And it was fun. Eren was delighted at this new game, similar to the games of chase and scatter that he used to play with his podmates. Armin had been especially good at evading those chasing him, slippery little fellow that he was. And Issy had been a relentless playmate, always brimming with energy. Maybe even more than Eren.

He wondered briefly what would become of his friends, but the distracting thought almost got him caught so he focused on the prowling merman once again.

On and on their little game went. Levi had given up on actually trying to get Eren to listen to him a while ago, focused only on trying to get a hold of the slippery little mer. And it was tough. Once Eren figured out a strategy, always staying out of reach, not expending too much energy, and playing the waiting game, Levi knew he was going to lose this particular match.

Eren wasn’t sure how long they had been playing chase for. He was hot, sweat beginning to cling to him, eyes bright and lively.

Levi looked much worse for wear and Eren was starting to feel a little bit bad for him. Eren hadn’t even been sure if mermen could sweat much at all, but Levi had been out of the water long enough for his skin to dry and yet it had dampened again thanks to Eren’s game. Being a creature that lived mostly in cold water, Levi did not need to sweat often. If he needed to cool down, all he had to do was return to the ocean. Right now Levi was running hotter than he felt he ever had been, sweat glands working in overdrive in an effort to keep him cool. All that darting about had left the merman weary. Levi had kept after Eren constantly, but he was beginning to tire. Sweat glistened on him and the raven blew out air through his nostrils in exertion.

The display stopped Eren in his tracks and he sniffed, curious. Realised Levi’s exhaustion, trilling low in apology even before he started trotting back over to the merman. He wouldn’t force Levi to keep up this strenuous game.

It was a rare display to see Levi panting and tired, as usually the older mer had such perfect composure. Then again most of the time Eren saw him, Levi was in the water and in his element. It had been a rare but fun treat to have Levi thrown off by the sudden challenge of dealing with an energetic Eren on land. Finding new ways to play with Levi would have to be Eren’s mission, as the raven had the advantage most of the time. Eren hoped that Levi would not immediately decline to play this again someday.

Although they probably shouldn’t take things quite so far as to tire the merman out. With the way he practically wheezed, Eren figured Levi’s lungs had probably never worked harder than this.

A questioning click left Eren’s throat, the sound followed by a quiet noise meant to comfort.

Levi was breathing hard, and loud. His head was down for the moment, held up by tense arms.

The brunet paused beside him, settling with his knees tucked underneath him, and Eren leaned forward to butt his head against the merman’s shoulder in greeting. Letting Levi know that he was there, that the chase had been abandoned. Eren waited, warbling quietly as he nudged Levi’s shoulder again.

Levi didn’t move, other than to breathe. Then he did move.

A hand stole around Eren’s ankle, not pulling him off balance or clutching particularly tightly. Just holding. Eren squeaked in surprise at the sudden motion, blinking at Levi in confusion. The merman finally raised his head, still panting, but he looked cheeky through his weariness.

He gave a single, tired click of triumph, announcing his victory in a rather lacklustre fashion, but Eren gaped at him all the same. The merman had not given up in his exhaustion. He had played his part, made a pitiful sight to coax Eren into coming closer.

Eren yapped in disbelief, but Levi just chortled at him. He’d won. Levi had caught Eren. The hand around his ankle was proof enough, and Levi all but collapsed to the grass then.

The game was well and truly over now.

Levi made a show of huffing out tired breaths, acting up like some immature pup not wanting to wake up. Eren sniffed at him, squeaking when he was tugged by the arm against the raven’s chest when Levi rolled over. He was so warm, skin hotter than Eren had ever felt it. And Levi usually ran so much cooler than the mermaid. He was sticky with sweat, but then again they both were.

Hot exhales puffed against the back of Eren’s neck as Levi panted, but the brunet didn’t complain. He didn’t complain, either, when Levi bit at his shoulder in somewhat gentle reprimand. For being a little shit, for refusing to listen.

The softer touch of Levi’s tongue followed soon after, and Eren figured he wasn’t in too much trouble.

Snuggling in their current state became uncomfortable for Levi quite quickly, and Eren didn’t blame him for moving away suddenly. The merman dragged himself back to the river, still panting. He went tumbling over the edge of the banks, sparing no time for grace. The splash that went up was big enough for water to hit Eren where he paused by the riverside and he blinked to get water out of his eyes. A hand tugged at his wrist, gently, and Levi crooned for Eren to join him in the river’s waters.

Swimming wasn’t high up on Eren’s list of things that he liked doing, at least not where running water was concerned. But Levi wouldn’t let him sink, even if he was tired.

The merman clicked for him, and this time Eren let himself be tugged down. His hands scrabbled for purchased at the sandy banks, and his descent was slower than Levi’s carefree tumble, but he eventually made it into the water. It was cold. Eren sat up, shaking grass and water from him, submerged from the hips down in the shallower edge of the river. Levi wanted him deeper, though, and tugged the wary mer against him, backing up until Eren’s feet could no longer find the riverbed. Eren whimpered, anxious and peering down past Levi’s shoulder into the water.

He seemed surprised to find that he could see the riverbed, the water here quite clear in comparison to the deeper water of the lake.

Levi treaded water, sniffing at Eren’s hair while the young mer marvelled at the current, sluggish for now but pleasant as it danced by their bodies. It was calm enough that Levi tipped himself backwards until he was lying flat on the water, Eren hugging close to his front with a worried warble. He fretted, trying not to dig his claws into the softer skin of Levi’s sides where he had latched onto. Eren chittered his concern while Levi floated, keeping his tail moving sluggishly. Just enough motion that the current would not cause them to drift and lose ground already covered.

And they stayed like that for a long time. Eren perched atop Levi as the merman gradually started to swim, pushing them further along their journey while allowing Eren to relax and Levi himself to rehydrate and cool off.

Cold water brushed Eren’s limbs, gliding past Levi. Eren played with drifting leaves, running idle fingers along Levi’s skin, tracing bits of fin where they stretched and tilted to cut through the water. Focused on the barest shifting of muscles beneath his fingers. Felt the movement of Levi’s tail against his thighs. He whimpered when the little curls of scale on the soft skin there pressed against Levi’s tail, rubbing every time he so much as moved his legs. It was easiest to let them dangle, and Eren tried to focus on the chill of the water to avoid the tingling that threatened to start up in his skin. He was tired enough from their play that the thought of exerting himself any further was less than appealing.

Levi had been even more worn out, and probably would not approve if Eren decided to get worked up.

Their pace was quite slow and Eren had all the time in the world to watch the land around them slide by, greens of all shades to be found in the grass and the reeds and the various trees that sprouted from the forest edges. The forest that followed them still, crawling along the edges of the riverbanks.

Eren wondered when it would end. For it had to end, eventually. And only once Eren was out of this forest, the place where he had grown up, would the mermaid feel as if he had truly left his old self behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eren being a cheeky shit and figuring out ways to mess with Levi is just the best. Possibly my new favourite thing.
> 
> Also, THEY'RE ON THEIR WAY AT LAST! PRAISE THE LORD AND HALLELUJAH! (that moment when you accidentally spell hallelujah correct the first try o_o)
> 
> P.S. The "land mers" are just mentions at this point, nobody panic. Just thought I'd mention that and clear that up so people don't assume that some bad shit is about to befall the lover-mers.


	21. Trek

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Un-beta'd cos I literally just finished writing this ten minutes ago.

Sleeping out in the relative open was an interesting experience.

They had to rest near to the river so that Levi could keep his tail in the water and thus remain hydrated, and that at least provided them with some cover with the overhanging trees. In the end it had been Eren who had found a spot for them to rest. Lots of shrubbery crowding the banks, providing good refuge.

The pair had hunted throughout the evening, Levi in the river and Eren in the nearby trees. Eren came trotting back and forth with leaves gathered in his hands, all of them tossed an ever-growing pile. The food he found was organised into its own, separate pile. Little plant roots, edible berries and a few handfuls of some sort of plant leaf that the little mer had deemed safe for consumption. Levi sniffed at the offerings with only a little suspicion, passing up fish for Eren to begin munching on while the merman went about washing dirt from the little pile of roots the brunet had collected. The scent of damp earth clung to the delicate plant parts, their colour revealed to be whitish once a little water was applied. The taste was odd, somewhere between sour and sweet, and Levi left most of the plants for Eren. He seemed to like them anyway.

Levi was much more interested in the couple of birds that Eren brought back after noticing that Levi didn’t favour his foraging. The feathers were a bit troublesome, but Levi had caught and eaten plenty of gulls before during his travels through the sea, and as such he was not unfamiliar with the process of consuming this particular offering.

Seeing his mate eat at last seemed to ease Eren’s troubled mood. They ate in relative silence, pausing to swap bits and pieces. Eren pressed leaves to Levi’s face, only satisfied when they were chewed and swallowed. Even Levi’s grimace at the taste couldn’t put a dampener on the mermaid’s happiness that his mate had even tried the offered food.

He squeaked, butting his head against Levi’s shoulder, and scuttled to the riverside to wash up.

After sharing their respective meals, both mers returned to the spot Eren had chosen for them. Levi sniffed about for a while, ensuring that no threatening scents lingered about. He returned satisfied enough, and the pair settled down. Eren busied himself pulling leaves over them both – the pile he’d been gathering suddenly seeming useful – and the mermaid was careful to cover them well. He threw leaves over the raven until he stopped trying to shake them off, realising that this wasn’t another of Eren’s games. A damp smell settled over them, and Levi found he had to lean in closer to be able to smell the mermaid’s scent. That was the point of the leaves, then? Another strategy of hiding.

What a clever little mate Levi had for himself.

He tucked his nose against Eren’s throat, and together they both settled down to sleep.

It was a cold night, not helped by their proximity to the river. Thankfully there was little in the way of wind, so Eren’s makeshift nest of leaves was not disturbed. Levi didn’t mind the frigid water, but Eren took a lot longer to adjust.

The little mer shivered terribly for a while after the sun went down, trying to curl closer and closer against Levi. Eren had another little heat spell shortly after that, and it was the first one he hadn’t minded suffering through. At least then he had been warm.

Levi bit down over his throat to quieten him, worrying that Eren would alert others to their presence. The mermaid stiffened, shaking for a moment, and then went utterly still. His relieved whimper was the only sign that he hadn’t passed out.

The mermaid was asleep moments after that.

Relief, at last. Although they were steadily running out of time.

Levi knew that he couldn’t hold off these symptoms forever. It would be damaging to do so, and Eren didn’t deserve the suffering of an extended heat. They would have to push for a fast pace tomorrow and work hard to reach the coast in the next day or so. Once they got to a wider portion of the river, Levi might even be able to carry them a good way. For now, though, the river was just deep. It would not do to risk Eren falling in and giving him even more reason to fear water.

The poor creature had had enough bad experiences that Levi feared he may never take to swimming lessons.

A wheezing noise woke Levi during the night, the curious sound coming from quite close by. The raven was awake in a moment, preparing to go searching, only to find that he needn’t move at all. Levi followed the source of the noise to right below him, peering upside down at a familiar face that blinked back from under his chest.

It was _Eren_ making the sound. Levi almost had a heart attack realising that; Eren sounded like he was _dying_. He wasn’t dying, thank heavens. Not even injured, it seemed. His scent wasn’t distressed, but he did sound rather sickly. The silly little mer had burrowed himself almost entirely underneath the merman, wedged between the grassy ground and Levi himself. There was no fear in his scent when Levi sniffed at the air again and then Eren’s hair to check on him, so the brunet hadn’t been hiding from anything. No threats lingered in the air, either.

Levi thought maybe Eren had been afraid of something? That possibly he was hiding? Those sleepy eyes blinking at him held no fear, however.

A questioning click left the merman, unanswered by Eren. The mermaid only shivered and curled in on himself in a tighter ball of tucked limbs. The position wasn’t doing wonders for Eren’s ability to breathe, unsurprising with a whole merman on top of him. Every time Levi tried to shift off of him, however, Eren would either begin whimpering or burrow right back where he had been.

Oh. So it was the cold that Eren was hiding from.

Apparently warmth was more valuable to the mermaid than breathing easily.

Levi let him have his way. The chilly air was all Eren was hiding from, and as long as the mermaid actually slept then that was good enough for Levi.

He settled again, careful of the brunet beneath him, and hoped to sleep through until dawn.

 

_Heavy_. There was a weight pressing down on Eren, but he was too warm to really consider doing anything about it. The sound of something breathing was close, distorted where Eren’s ear was pressed against a solid chest. He was tucked up underneath the merman, something that the colder night had made the mermaid do.

Not the most comfortable option; it was hard to breathe.

He managed to drift in and out of sleep even under the weight of an entire merman, waking less often than he might have suspected.

It was beginning to just barely grow lighter when Eren was woken again.

Wet streaked across Eren’s face and he curled into himself, tucking his limbs tighter. He became abruptly aware of the cold and shivered. Blinked his eyes open when he was licked again, and looked up to find Levi curled about him. Coiled tightly about the little mer this time, lest Eren burrow beneath him again. It was not quite as cold as before, but the early morning air was unpleasant all the same.

Eren shivered again and stretched, testing Levi’s hold. It gave easily, allowing the mermaid room to flex his limbs and get blood stirring.

They would need to move soon. That was the pattern now; rest, food, travel, repeat. But for how long? When would this tiresome pattern end? He bleated the same query at Levi, receiving a huff in return. Eren wasn’t the only one tired of having to keep moving.

Levi chittered by Eren’s ear, soft. A comfort. He curled them up again, allowed a few more moments of closeness before they would have to begin the day.

Eren was grateful and he craned his neck back to nuzzle Levi. Stared over the grass on which they had spent the night. Covered in leaves, Levi’s tail dangling over the bank of the river so that he could remain hydrated. It had been a good resting place. Peaceful enough.

Eren dozed off again, purring in the quiet.

 

A foggy dawn gave way to bright sun and crisp air. Levi waited as long as he could, watching the world grow lighter around them through the filter of old leaves. The smell of damp, of grass and earth, hung about them. Their covering of leaf litter had done well to hide their scent, but hanging around for too long would not prove beneficial in the long run.

Eventually they had to move.

Today would be one of hard travel and Eren would not have time to indulge in his usual games. Levi prepared himself to be stern, knowing that he could make it up to the mermaid later. When they finally reached their home, Levi could spoil Eren all he wanted.

Rousing Eren proved to be the most difficult part of the day, but once he was awake and fed the little brunet was happy enough to get moving again.

The cold had stopped clinging to the ground so much, although the grass was still chilly with dew. Eren didn’t seem to mind the moisture, nor the grass stains forming on his knees, hands, wrists.

Levi would need to remember to get the little mer into the river later to clean up.

Energetic despite what had to have been a night of interrupted sleep; Eren bounced along the riverbank ahead of Levi. Every once in a while the mermaid would turn, pause, and make sure that Levi was still following. Yapped a few times, waiting for the merman to catch up. Scampered off again. At the very least, Eren seemed to be having a good time.

He still stopped to marvel at little things, sticking his face into patches of flowering clovers or stretching up tree trunks to screech and startle birds from their perches.

A bark from Levi was, surprisingly, all it took to get the little mer back on track. Eren came scuttling back to nuzzle the merman, head ducked low with guilt like some pup on its first trip through the forest.

A lick from Levi proved his forgiveness, and off the mermaid would go.

They swam whenever Eren began to slow his pace. Fatigue was not a part of Levi’s plan, and he had more than enough stamina for the both of them. And so Levi guided the mermaid carefully into the river, balanced them front to front and swam on his back. Eren might not have been entirely content with having to rest on Levi’s front while the merman swam, unhappy that he couldn’t set his own pace, but there was plenty of time to gaze around at least.

He would watch Levi, the merman ducking his head beneath the surface and navigating their way along, gazing upside down at whatever was ahead. Levi pushed them onwards, keeping his head down under the water more often than not and trusting Eren to warn him if something was amiss above the surface. The push of water rushing past them felt odd against Eren’s skin. He skimmed his fingers over the surface and marvelled at the little ribboned patterns that rippled out in the wake of their passing.

Levi would glance up at him, head breaking the surface occasionally. He returned under quickly enough, and Eren watched the movement of his gills. The way they would flick open, fluttering in the current. The skin seemed so delicate, and no part of Levi had seemed that way.

The mermaid was beginning to notice these things. Tender places that the merman had, like the fragile-looking fins or the translucent webbing that connected Levi’s fingers. Or the seam of Levi’s slit, something that the merman always growled at Eren for when he touched it. The mermaid couldn’t help his interest, but Levi didn’t seem impressed. It must have been a particularly vulnerable area, then.

He prodded at the almost invisible line of it now, feeling Levi jolt beneath him. Bubbles rose to the surface and Eren could guess at the sound the merman was making.

Some sort of frustrated threat, as always. Never a serious one. More like Levi thought Eren was some troublesome pup.

He traced the skin there with a knuckle, careful to keep his claws out of the way. Eren had no doubt that Levi would not forgive him if he damaged such a delicate place. The seam gave way when Eren ran his knuckle over it again and he squeaked in surprise when his curled finger dipped inside.

The water surged as Levi twisted then, and Eren was seized before he knew to cry out. They crashed to the bank, Levi snarling by his ear in an instant and pressing him against the mud of the riverside. Eren winced at a harsh nip to his ear, flattening them against his head and whining apology. He was not release, though. Levi grumbled behind him, gripping the bank and keeping Eren pressed there between the sloping ground and himself. And that was Eren’s punishment, it seemed. Levi kept him pinned there while he got himself back under control, growling whenever the mermaid whined in boredom. He’d put himself into this situation, and he could wait until Levi’s body calmed enough for them to resume travel.

When Levi finally moved, it was to begin herding Eren up the bank. He helped push the mermaid up, until Eren was padding about on the grassy shore again. The mermaid looked down at Levi, sniffing at dark, dripping hair and searching for forgiveness in slitted eyes. The merman gave a single click, tossing his head, and he pushed back into the water.

Eren was banished to the shore for the next few hours of their journey, Levi apparently not trusting him to leave well enough alone.

The merman swam off and Eren had to scamper quite quickly to keep up. It was like a chase, only it felt odd to be chasing the more dangerous predator between them. Levi still kept a close eye on Eren, ensuring that the mermaid was still following. And Eren was. He knew he’d landed himself in trouble, ducking his head whenever Levi looked over at him to demonstrate his repentance.

Levi stopped to hunt, but he made for the banks and summoned Eren over first. A single bark had Eren edging over, slinking towards the merman with some wariness. Unsure if he was still in trouble. Wary of further punishment.

He really was like a pup still in some ways.

Eren stayed carefully out of reach, sitting. It made Levi huff at him, and he tossed his head with a warble. Calling Eren closer. Teal eyes narrowed, suspicious, and Eren only leaned closer. He was ready to dart away should the merman show any signs of mischief. Eren was surprised, then, when all Levi did was push himself up to butt their heads together. The merman licked Eren’s cheek, clicking before he tumbled back into the water to look for their lunch.

Forgiven, then. Eren sat purring until Levi returned, struggling to stifle the sound that continued even as he ate.

Levi ate for longer than Eren did, and he watched the little mer tumble about in the grass while he replenished. Eren seemed to have an infinite amount of energy when he wanted to play, rolling around, throwing his legs in the air when he was on his back and grabbing for his feet. Chasing after dragonflies, spluttering and hacking when he caught one in his mouth by accident.

The raven chortled after him, watching Eren pad his way carefully down to the river to wash the taste away.

He came trotting back to Levi covered in mud and grass stains, grinning like he wasn’t completely filthy. Levi rolled his eyes at the little mer, tugging him in and rolling them off the ledge and into the water. Eren squealed at the sudden chill, his head kept carefully above the surface by Levi when he treaded water. The mermaid did his best affronted growling while he endured the thorough scrubbing that Levi put him through, working dirt from skin. Dunking Eren under the water when his complaining continued. Levi snickered at Eren’s surprised spluttering.

The glare that Eren shot over his shoulder was probably supposed to be withering, but all Levi saw was a pout. He nuzzled the mermaid’s frown away, trailing claws over Eren’s skin under the water to look for ticklish spots. Eren bleated in surprise, then protest, when Levi’s search was successful. He relented when the mermaid started squeaking apologies, like Levi’s playfulness was some punishment he had to endure.

It was a thoroughly amused merman that deposited Eren back onto the shore.

Onwards once again. Levi led the way, with Eren trailing along on the shore.

A group of deer bounded off into the forest, startled by their presence. Eren watched them go, noticing Levi’s intrigued glance. He paused, circling back to get closer to Eren. Grey eyes watched the scattering creatures, slitted and wary. The merman barked after them, ensuring that they continued to flee.

Levi clicked for Eren then, unhappy with him so far away when there were strange animals darting about.

Eren snickered at Levi’s wariness, thinking that the wandering creatures were a threat to them. He still let Levi tug him down into the water, settling the mermaid atop his front once more. At least the merman was keeping a close eye on their surroundings, making sure that there was no danger. That was his job, since Eren had never travelled this way before.

They made good time, keeping up a decent pace. Despite not having slept solidly during the night, Eren was not too worn out. His excitement at seeing the changing landscape probably had something to do with his seemingly endless reserves of energy. The forest was, at long last, beginning to thin. There were no clustering ferns around the riverbanks now, just grass in varying lengths and some reeds. Things were more open here.

Eren didn’t have time to enjoy it right away.

They had only been swimming through the new area for a short time when Levi came to an abrupt stop in the water. The sudden halt almost sent Eren toppling off him, for the mermaid had been leaning over to peer into the water. He gave an affronted yowl, nudging the heel of his palm against Levi’s chest.

They moved again, another jerky motion. Levi tipped them over to get Eren off of him, strong arms coming around the mermaid before he could panic. Eren was met with the riverbank suddenly, ushered up its slope by a rather frantic Levi. Scrambling up, Eren turned back to the merman for comfort, unsure of the situation.

There was no soothing croon or warm embrace waiting for him, however. Levi pushed up on his arms to click quietly at the mermaid, urging him away.

_Hide. Go._

Grey eyes were narrowed, Levi’s nostrils flared to take in air, and he must have scented something bad coming their way. A shove of the merman’s head against his shoulder sent Eren scrambling for cover. He dove for the nearest tree, stretching up onto his legs to jump for a low branch. Eren pulled himself up into the branches, eyes darting below to catch any sign of movement. In the river, Levi was waiting. Teeth bared, ears flat against his head, claws at the ready. He sunk below the surface of the water, the colour draining from him before Eren’s very eyes. A camouflage technique – the lack of vibrancy helped the merman blend in with the water.

It was quiet for a long moment. Eren’s ears strained to pick up some sign of the threat Levi was waiting for, twitching about to listen in different directions.

Then there was something. The noise of travel through the grass, not too far off.

Eren waited. He flattened himself down against the branch he balanced on as much as he could, eyes darting about.

When Levi finally moved, it was in a violent surge. He tackled something, a streak of colour in the water. They tumbled for several long, terrible moments, and all Eren could hear was the slosh of water and the awful snarls of two enraged beasts.

Two heads broke the surface of the water, and Eren squeaked in recognition only seconds before both of the battling creatures froze. Levi barked, loud and irritable. The fight, though, seemed to be over.

The other creature shook itself, hissing back. There was red marring its sandy hair – Levi’s claws had not missed their mark.

The raven did not apologise, either. He sniffed, almost in disinterest, and warbled for Eren to come down.

They had an unexpected visitor.

Farlan. Levi’s merman friend from the lake. Eren was surprised to see the merman for all of about five seconds. Then some nearby shrubbery rustled and Isabel came tumbling through it, graceless as always. A mess of red hair and tangled limbs. She hissed at the sight of another merman upon righting herself, the sound aborting in an instant when her brilliant green eyes landed on Eren.

He yipped, delighted.

Eren had begun to wonder over these last few days if he would ever see any of his friends again.

The two mermaids promptly ignored their mates’ irritated posturing in favour of greeting each other. Issy just about tackled him, and Eren didn’t notice that he had teared up until Isabel started licking away his tears. He sniffled, but it was a happy enough sound.

Apparently Levi didn’t think so, though. He hissed at Isabel, like she was the reason for Eren’s distress. And in a way, he wasn’t wrong. Eren was crying because his friend had appeared, but he was in no way upset. He turned on the raven, Levi already halfway up the bank to come and collect him, and he barked in reprimand at the approaching merman.

It had the desired effect.

Levi paused, eyes wide. His ears flicked forward at the harsh sound Eren directed at him, and he clucked. Uncertain. He loitered at the edge of the shore, flicking his tail in the water.

The mermaids separated, trotting over to their respective mates.

Levi made to push Eren back, intending to look for any signs of hurt. His reaching hand got nipped at, and the brunet ducked under his arm to stand alongside Levi. A series of nudges and stern clicking got Levi moving, leaving the river entirely to sprawl on the grass. Eren padded over the stretching merman, sniffing here and there and looking closely at Levi. He prompted the merman to turn, to roll over or lift his tail. Ignored Levi grumbles and uncomfortable shifting when he pressed gentle knuckles to those specific, delicate places that were the most vulnerable. Pinched folded fins and pulled, gently and watching for signs of discomfort, to stretch them out and look for any sign of tearing or bleeding. Patted the spines back down again when he was done, watching them twitch.

After the careful inspection, Eren deemed that Levi was okay. He gave a satisfied chirp and crawled off the merman, taking a seat in the grass beside him.

Levi blinked at him, bemused. He fanned out his spines and fins alike before tucking them back into place, apparently dissatisfied with how Eren had left them. Eren just rolled his eyes and tapped the back of his hand against Levi’s hip. Not quite a reprimand. He couldn’t chide Levi right then. There wasn’t a scratch on him, and Eren couldn’t help but be proud of his mate’s skill. He chuffed at the raven, rubbing against him to show his pride, and Levi made a rumbling sound.

He seemed quite pleased with himself.

Farlan suffered a similar inspection. Just as thorough, although Isabel was not as happy with his condition as Eren had been of Levi’s. The blonde had a group of four nasty slashes down one side, and a cut on his head was bleeding from where Levi must have slammed them against the riverbed. Isabel seemed more affronted by the injury than Farlan did, the little redhead even having the spirit to spit and hiss in Levi’s direction. She seemed furious at him for hurting her mate, rather than being put out with Farlan for failing to come out on top during the scuffle.

The raven-haired mer arched a brow at the fiery display, a noise of disinterest vibrating in his throat as he flicked his gaze away. Eren stared with wide eyes, bemused. He’d not seen a mermaid make any sort of threat towards a merman before.

Eren wondered what Issy would do if Levi had actually been offended by her hissing? If he’d bothered to act on it?

He didn’t, though. Levi just scoffed and rolled onto his side, reaching to tug Eren against him. Wanting Eren close, at least for the moment. The brunet flopped against him, his balance thrown, but he didn’t protest. Levi wanted him near now that there was another merman about, even if Farlan was so clearly spoken for. It was best not to argue.

A careful distance away, Farlan lay on his side on the grass, busy inspecting his own wounds. The blonde didn’t seem too troubled, like the bloody mess that was his side was of little concern. Without so much as a wince, Farlan stretched over himself at an odd-looking angle to begin cleaning the gashes.

As casually as one might preen.

If such an injury was commonplace among mermen, Eren couldn’t imagine what a serious wound would be like.

His throat thrummed out a worried sound and he nestled closer to Levi. The merman’s tail slid through the grass, coiling around them, tucked in so that Eren was kept between Levi’s tail and his chest. The brunet nudged his feet against the blue of that tail, toes stretching idly. Kept safe behind that living barrier. Above his head, Levi was busy sniffing away – looking for hints of distress. He nuzzled brown hair a moment later, and before Eren knew it he was being groomed. A tongue at his throat, licking up into his hair, firm against his skin.

Careful fingers reached out to trace the flushed blue of Levi’s scales, the colour magnificent along his tail. The flukes twitched, a lighter blue. Still pretty.

A chitter interrupted the peaceful moment, both mer’s heads turning towards the sound. Farlan was up, closer to them, with Isabel padding about on the shore behind him. The blonde gave a string of clicks, inclining his head towards the river.

Eren huffed, but he pushed himself up onto hands and knees. They had to keep moving, and apparently Farlan was eager for them to all travel together. It would be safer that way, lest they come across some danger. Eren would be happy to have another mermaid to walk with him, to share in the wonders of this new world he was discovering.

The brunet was halfway to Issy before Levi got moving, sliding down into the river with a sulking sound. He kept his attention on Farlan, and the two mermen got moving only when they realised that Isabel and Eren were bounding ahead. Already caught up in their old games, racing along the banks with ease thanks to the lack of crowding trees. There were a few, most of them quite close to the river. Avoiding them was easy enough if the mermaids moved a little ways away from the water.

They learned quickly that their mates were not pleased by that. They barked, the sounds harsh, until both mers came slinking back with their heads hung guiltily.

Limited to the space by the riverside, the younger mers were no less playful. Travelling together was doing wonders for the mermaids, even if Levi and Farlan seemed on edge around each other. Ignoring them was easy enough once Eren noticed how different the land was becoming. The forest was opening up into stretching grassland, and more pockets of water were appearing. Birds stalked about on long, wiry legs. They seemed mostly oblivious of the traveling unit of mers, and Eren was so tempted so chase some of the feathered creatures down. Every time he started prowling, crouching low in the longer grass, Levi was ready with a stern chitter to keep him on track. Isabel was having an even harder time of it, all but buzzing with the need to dash out and chase something.

Farlan was not impressed with her when she did just that, ignoring his bark of reprimand. She came trotting back only when she had caught one of the strange birds, snickering at her mate’s exasperated expression.

Levi was even less impressed with the pleading whine Eren turned to him with, bouncing along and beseeching to be allowed to go and catch something. He was tugged down into the water for his efforts, balanced atop the raven-haired mer. No birds for him, it would seem.

Eren sulked, his tantrum going mostly ignored by Levi as he dunked his head below the water to navigate.

The river was much wider here, and all around were pockets of water. All of it surrounded by tall grass. A few trees scattered here and there. It was new territory for the mermaids; a place that they had never visited before, and therefore they did not know what to trust. The wetlands could be even more dangerous than the forest, and Levi would not risk Eren leading himself into the jaws of a threat playing some silly game. Just seeing Levi’s reaction, his treatment of Eren, had Isabel sobering up. She knew that the raven was not guarding Eren to be cruel. He wanted Eren safe.

Farlan, too, was only chiding her because he was wary of other creatures that could be lurking. The mermen were the most intimidating creature in the wetlands, currently. As long as the mermaids remained close by as they passed through, there would be little in the way of trouble. Not many creatures were willing to go up against a merman, let alone two.

Eren sniffed, crossing his arms to rest his chin there. No amount of whining and pleading could override Levi’s instincts to protect his chosen mate, especially where the merman believed without a doubt that danger was lurking out there somewhere.

It might not have been fun, but Eren could appreciate that Levi was trying his best to keep him safe.

Across from them, Issy padded quite solemnly through the shallower water. She wouldn’t venture out into the deeper areas, but her desire to be closer to the unit was clear. The redhead picked a path through the sodden grass, the water swallowing up her hands and feet with every step. She hissed at a passing snake at one point, hauling it from the water by its tail.

Farlan almost had a heart attack when she yapped to show him. Thankfully she tossed the creature away before it could get any ideas, and any thoughts of attack were flown from the reptile’s mind when Farlan churned up the water and sent it on its way.

They carried on, the mermen picking up the pace. Eren cooed against Levi’s skin, hoping that the vibrations would reach him if the sound itself did not. A hand broke the surface, coming up to brush against his side. Levi did not bother with slowing his pace, or giving any verbal indication of his plan. Farlan matched his pace, and on the banks Isabel scuttled along after them. Farlan let Levi lead the way, hanging a little ways behind so as not to abandon Isabel. They seemed to understand each other, the mermen. Eren suspected that they were communicating beneath the water, sharing plans. Those plans were easily guessed at – the mermen did not wish to stay overnight in the open wetlands. They would likely press on until better cover became available.

Eren settled in for a long trip, watching the land go by.

Issy splashed out into the water after Farlan when she got tired, more at ease than Eren was with the idea of attempting to paddle through the current. Her sandy-haired mate scooped her up before Issy could become exhausted enough to sink, rolling in the water to float on his back. He mirrored Levi, swimming backwards essentially so that Issy could lie over him, her belly pressed to his.

And they carried on like that all through the afternoon.

The sun was uncomfortably warm in the later hours of the afternoon, so Eren and Issy scooped water in their hands to splash over themselves. The land sloped in places, and both mermaids squealed in delight when their mates carried them down a little waterfall. More of a steep rapids, really.

In the distance behind them, the horizon was broken by the stretching mountains. Peaks littered with trees, and somewhere back there Eren’s pod was relocating. They would find a new home, seek out a safer place to raise their young.

Eren hoped that, should he ever return, he would be able to track them down.

 

It was well after dark by the time Levi began to slow his pace. The landscape had shifted once again, rugged hills appearing to take over the grassy wetlands.

They reached a place where the river spilled into a small lake, mostly shallow except for the middle. The surrounding hills provided a sense of security. Trees had begun gathering, clustered around the sloping ground. Some of the larger ones had fallen, pushed over by wind or age, and a great trunk stretched across one edge of the pond. There were smaller trees crowding the edge of the water.

Everything about this place felt peaceful, and Eren whimpered with relief when Levi tilted his head up to click that they were stopping for the night. He jostled the mermaid then, a sign for Eren to get down.

He whined, unsure. Glanced about at the water, stretching his legs down to test its depth. Eren relaxed when his toes could just barely brush the bottom, and he tumbled off of Levi then. Splashed around, soon pounced on by Isabel. They rolled about in the shallows while the mermen went to scout the area.

They returned to find the mermaids already tearing feathers from several ducks, happily chirping back and forth.

Eren hesitated when Levi exited the water, Farlan trailing close behind. The little mer gathered his catch closer, hands tightening on the duck he’d been busy plucking, like he thought Levi might try to take it away from him. He hadn’t been too keen on the idea of them hunting birds earlier. Levi didn’t make a grab for his food, however; the raven slithered his way over and slumped onto his front in the short grass next to Eren. He curled his tail around Eren’s knees, but did not disturb the birds being hoarded in the brunet’s lap.

Grey eyes watched Eren work, hands removing the fluffy parts that wouldn’t do well for digestion. Eren tore at the now featherless ducks, passing things like the head and feet to Levi. Those parts the merman could have. Off to one side, Isabel made a similar decision. The parts she did not want were handed over to Farlan, the blonde patiently waiting and watching with intrigue. Although the mermen would no doubt head off to find more food elsewhere, Eren found it pleasant to be able to share a meal in this way. Normally it was Levi who would bring him food, so being able to provide anything for the raven at all was pleasing.

Levi seemed to think so, crunching away at one of the several feet that had been placed near him. Eren scrunched up his nose at the sight, but at least it wasn’t going to waste. He’d never enjoyed the tougher parts of his prey. Levi didn’t so much as bat an eye at the offering, though. Just got to work crunching it down into manageable bits.

At least he was efficient.

The raven got the bones Eren didn’t care for, too. Levi watched Eren eat, running the pads of his fingers along one of the mermaid’s crossed legs, careful not to scratch with his claws. Earning a curious, teal gaze. Eren kept an eye on him, too, as he ate. Stripped flesh down to the bone, then passed the larger ones to Levi.

Playful fingers tugged at Eren’s toes, causing them to squirm and flex. Eren shooed Levi’s hand away when he grew ticklish. Held out another bone. Held dark eyes with his own gaze as Levi leaned over to take the bone in his teeth.

A beast, tame only for the right fingers, the right gaze.

Tame only for the one he had chosen to be tame for, to be tamed by.

Eren slid fingers beneath a pale chin, marvelled that he was allowed to hold Levi’s attention. The moment he let go, Levi bit down and the snap of bone in his mouth was an odd contrast to the gentle moment they had just shared. A reminder, perhaps, of the power those jaws held? Of the danger those teeth could possess.

Levi had never bitten Eren harshly. Looking at the merman flicking a dark tongue along one, long canine, Eren had an odd feeling that he would know that bite one day.

He wondered why that thought didn’t scare him.

Issy trotted over then, Farlan having already turned for the pond to begin his hunt. The redhead plopped down nearby, chirping a cheery hello. She still waited for Levi to nuzzle Eren goodbye and go slinking off for the water to fetch his own dinner. Eren whistled after him, stretched out coyly on his side. He cooed when Levi turned, brow raised, gaze sweeping over the brunet laid out invitingly. The raven whistled back in appreciation, flicking his tail to send water Eren’s way.

Eren watched Levi slip away under the water, smiling after him.

What a very different creature those mermen were. It blew Eren’s mind that they were the same species, that he wasn’t being tricked into partnering with a whole other breed of creature.

But instinct did not lie.

Beside him, Issy flopped down. She stretched, bumping his legs with her toes. It was much easier to imagine Isabel as kin, since they looked so similar. Although she was softer in places – they each were missing things that the other had. And those nasty creatures that had tried to hurt them, tried to overrun their whole pod, had looked so like mermaids. They preferred traveling upright, while Eren found it trickier to balance like that for very long. It was tiring on his legs. Useful, though, for reaching higher, for climbing trees or scaring off smaller predators.

Eren wondered if the land mers were a distant cousin of theirs. They looked alike enough that it could have been true, but there was no familiarity in their scent. Nothing in the way they acted to label them as kin.

If he never saw another land mer, it would be too soon.

The mermaids were tussling when Levi returned, tumbling about in a tangle of flailing limbs. They squeaked, little growls spilling from their throats, grabbing and biting at each other’s ears. The two of them paused at the sound of splashing water, watching Levi crawl his way towards them. Eren nipped at Issy’s ear again, and they were right back to playing by the time Levi settled down on his front nearby. He kept an eye on them, watching their play.

It seemed that some mermaid games were quite similar to the kind of play Levi had experienced. Although it looked a lot gentler here. No blood drawn from teeth or claws. No real violence. The pair of mers scuffled and hissed, falling apart from each other to shake themselves off and preen for a moment. Would dive together again and begin anew, trying to pin each other.

Suddenly Levi realised why Eren got sour when he tried to initiate the same game between the two of them. Legs weren’t an advantage when there was a tail wrapped around them. Wrestling with Levi was a losing game.

No wonder Eren didn’t like playing with him.

Although…he’d had plenty of fun evading Levi on the shore that time. The cheeky little devil was impossible to catch once he made up his mind.

Farlan came tearing out of the lake, looking very much like he’d intended his approach to be slower. He looked just as surprised as the two mermaids he startled. Levi snickered at the sight of him, thumping his tail against the ground. Isabel recovered from her start, scampering over to the blonde to greet him.

Eren was left to stretch and shake himself off, their game apparently over. He lay there, eyes closed, and caught his breath. His ears twitched at the sound of movement, but he made no attempt to evade Levi when the merman closed in. Snaked an arm around his neck and coaxed the brunet back against him, tail wrapping about sluggish legs.

The mermaid only grumbled, too tired to consider escaping. He tipped his head back to rest against Levi’s shoulder and huffed, still breathing a little hard.

Eren yowled when he wanted to be freed and Levi let him go, but the mermaid only relaxed against the ground. He stretched again, pushed back into Levi. He rolled over after a while, bit at Levi’s collar, and nuzzled under the raven’s chin. Eren licked sleepily at Levi’s throat.

Poor thing was tuckered out. It had been a long day; they had travelled longer than usual. Eren gave a quiet mewl against him.

Time to find a spot to sleep, before Eren passed out.

The brunet whimpered the moment Levi moved, clutching blindly to keep the merman near. He just wanted to rest. Along the edge of the pond, under part of the fallen tree, would be a good enough place. Levi coaxed Eren up, following with him the whole way. He pulled the mermaid against him the moment they had a decent spot – Isabel and Farlan glancing at them from where they were settling down not far away.

Eren curled up, already beginning to fade as he snuggled closer, his face tucked against Levi’s chest. The merman stretched out his tail so that the end reached the water, and together they hoped for a night without disturbance.

 

Another half day of travel…and Eren was starting to notice significant changes. For one thing, the mermen were considerably more eager. They hadn’t slowed once all day, in fact Levi had begun speeding up.

There was an odd smell to the air, something fresh and unfamiliar. Eren wasn’t sure what he thought of it. Issy wrinkled her nose, detecting the same scent. They scuttled along the banks, wondering how close they were to their end destination.

And then, finally…the mermen stopped.

They came to an abrupt halt in the river, whistling for the mermaids. Eren, who had been keeping his head down against the wind, glanced up. He had intended to click a query, but the view stole his ability to do anything but stare.

The river just…ended. It spilled out into a mass of water that stretched on…forever. There was no edge, not all the way to the horizon. Just more and more blue reaching out like it was trying to meet the sky there in the distance. Issy jerked to a stop beside him, stunned into the same silence. They had never witnessed so much water, as far across as the land that reached out behind them. An even deeper blue than the sky above them, and Eren didn’t even want to think about how deep something that large would be. He shivered at the thought alone.

But…something about the sight of it felt oddly like home.

He was rushing for it before thought could catch up, Isabel bolting alongside him. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Eren was aware that there were no cries of alarm or reprimand coming from Levi or Farlan. Whatever was happening, it did not surprise them.

The dirt was weird here, all light brown. It stuck to him a bit, but that wasn’t enough to distract from the pull of the water ahead.

It seemed to take forever to reach it, and Eren could have sworn that he felt his heart stop beating for a few moments as that void of blue became all he could see. And then he was in it, frozen still in freezing water only just deep enough that it covered his hands where they balanced him. It smelled so strange here. The water was like ice but Eren couldn’t bring himself to back out of it, Isabel sitting beside him in a similar state of shock.

Movement caught his attention, further out in the mass of water. Two heads, bobbing in the waves.

Eren chirped in surprise, recognising Levi and Farlan, their faces heading for them. The two mermen came to them, lying down in the water and letting little waves break around them as the mermaids wept in silence, like finding a long-lost friend – an agonising joy.

Levi held Eren, did not try to move him. Stared out at the never-ending water and taught the mermaid new sounds, _beach_ , _sand_ , _ocean_. Nastier sounds, like _shark_ , _jellyfish_ , _urchin_.

A feeling settled in Eren’s core, something tight that heated him through.

Home. This was it.

A sound left Eren’s mouth, soft and questioning. He would struggle to comprehend this new beauty, but it made him happy already.

This eternal lake was salty. _Ocean_ , Eren remembered. It was so beautiful.

Levi whistled for him, then, already deeper in the waves. He called like there was nothing to be afraid of, but Eren hesitated. Could not imagine what it would be like to fall through all that water. He padded out a little further, whining, anxious, until he was deep enough that Levi grabbed for him. Led him out, chortling when Eren scrambled upright. The mermaid stretched up, barely feeling the sandy seabed with his toes.

Arms coiled around his waist, and Levi lifted him. Effortlessly held Eren out of the water and swam further out. He balanced carefully, leaning them back so that Eren could settle on his front like they had done all the way here. And he swam.

Nothing extravagant, just leading the little mer around the cove. Cliffs arched up either side of the river’s mouth, magnificent faces that shone golden in the brilliant light. Levi pointed to a cliff face, to the right hand side of the river.

He chirped, and Eren shivered to hear the sound.

_Home_.

So this was Levi’s territory? Eren found himself impressed.

Another sound from Levi, a string of clicks and a whistle, and he turned back for the beach. Isabel was also being dropped off, and the mermaids huddled together, grabbing for each other’s shoulders to squeak and click in delight at this new place. Their attention was brought back to the mermen with a bark, and the mers listened dutifully as they were instructed to wait back by the river’s mouth. The mermen still had to investigate their territories, their lairs, and make sure that no intruders had moved in.

And off they went, leaving Eren to lead the way back to the river. Isabel followed easily enough, still chittering away about how amazing their new world was.

Eren had to agree.

This was where they would be living. Soon, the both of them would be mated…whatever that was like. Eren was sure that they would find out soon.

More than the longing for that tie, however; Eren yearned to be able to explore this place. He was unfamiliar with the area, and thus there was no knowing what kinds of food would be available. The water, although there was a lot of it, had tasted strange and salty on the tongue when he had tried it.

Not for drinking, then. Eren would need to go in search of suitable drinking water.

He assumed that Levi, having come from a water-filled world, did not need to drink. He could hydrate just by being in water. Eren did not have that advantage. He would have to ask Levi about this; surely the merman would have some idea of where to find water even if he didn’t need it. This was his home, after all.

The two mermaids sat at one side of the river, just staring out at the sea and its array of colours. Sometimes blue, almost green in places, and greyish in others. Waves tipped in white rolled in from the deep.

Eren wondered where they came from. What made them? Something big? Some huge beast that stirred the sea?

Then again maybe it was best not to think about what could be lurking in those depths.

 

They sure were taking a long time. Eren sighed.

Beside him, Isabel huffed out her own sound of weariness.

They clicked back and forth, lying idle for the most part. Their mates were surely just being thorough in their searches. They wouldn’t want to lead the mermaids into any danger.

Something rustled behind them and Eren stiffened.

Speaking of danger.

He turned, Isabel twisting beside him, and they bared their teeth at the distance. Back along the river, somewhere…there was a sound. Trees could be hiding a threat, so they waited.

A figure broke through some shrubbery, and Eren felt his jaw drop.

Now there was a face that he had not expected to see again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DON'T pick up snakes EVER. (that particular one was not venomous, but it's still a stupid thing to do)
> 
> I honestly only just considered whether or not merpeople (traditional merpeople) drink. Cos they're in water all the time? So??
> 
> Also 4 chapters to go!!! We're getting there, slowly but surely.


	22. Pack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cut a third off of this so I could post it now because it was just taking too long trying to fit everything into the one chapter. This has not been beta'd yet, please forgive me. Sorry for the wait!

The sunny little creature that spilled out of the shrubbery made Eren’s chest clench with something like pain, but it was too happy a feeling to describe it as such.

Familiar yellow hair, blue eyes wide after the brief tumble through the bushes. Armin spotted them in moments, trilling out in delight as he sat up and caught proper sight of them. There was no surprise on his face; he’d known they would be there. The little blonde must have followed them all the way along the river, tracking their scent.

Armin always had been the cleverest young mer in their pod.

All three of them started to run in the same instant, bounding for each other, yapping and chirping, tossing their heads. Too fast to arrive safely at each other, or stop in time. They crashed together in an elated tangle. Tumbling their way along several feet of ground, it was tricky to pull away from each other again but they managed.

Paused by the banks of the river, the three mers chittered merrily, an excited back and forth. All of them disbelieving, but bright-eyed with warmth at being reunited.

Eren couldn’t believe it. After all of the confusion and fear after the land mer assault, Eren had believed that all of his pod would have clustered together and made their escape as a whole. They were fast and knew the forest well, far better than the newcomers, which would have given the pod an advantage. While the fire was dealt with, the mermaids could run. And Eren had assumed that Armin would have gone with them, followed the elders up into the mountains where secret caves existed in the stony ground – dripping and damp, hidden well with clustering ferns and thick moss that clung to the rocks and made everything a bright and lush green. That was surely where the pod would go. It was a haven, filled with little pools of water where the little ones might play. Where the growing mermen pups would be able to swim and practice switching between above and below water breathing. The caves would keep them all safe until the threat of the land mers passed.

And yet instead of being there with the pod, holed up safely with company, Armin had made his way here. Eren was bewildered to see him, but he couldn’t have been happier.

Issy was equally delighted, practically buzzing with glee.

Curious noses inspected, finding scents of their adventure. Sand and sea on Eren and Isabel, river water and grass on Armin. Other smells, too. A stirring of sweetness that Eren had barely noticed in his own scent, or Isabel’s even. Smelling it on Armin brought it to their attention, but not as much as the other scent the little blonde held on his skin. A musky smell, not at all Armin’s natural scent. And it was _everywhere_.

Eren drew back, a worried chirp leaving his throat.

Armin barely noticed his friend’s worry, already halfway through the beginning of retelling his adventure. All happy squeaks and musical warbles.

The water stirred behind them. No attempt at stealth or ambush, so Eren didn’t worry. He was glad, rather, for it was about time that one of their mermen returned.

Eren started to turn, already chittering. He expected Levi, maybe Farlan.

Instead he found a monster rising from the water. Sharp blue eyes were fixed on them, a familiar form but a foreign face shaking droplets from sopping golden hair.

Eren screeched in alarm, Isabel crying out beside him, and the two of them bolted for the nearest tree. Clawed their way up into the low branches, little claws digging into the bark for purchase, fingers gripping. They were still scrambling for balance in the boughs as they turned to hiss down at whatever newcomer had arrived to hassle them.

Only to see that Armin hadn’t fled with them.

Eren’s eyes widened and he yapped in panic, sharp, pitching barks that he hoped would startle their attacker. Issy wailed for Armin to run, pulling herself up onto a higher branch. She clung there a little ways above Eren’s head, the both of them fixing horrified stares on their friend.

But Armin didn’t run. In fact he turned away from the threat and chirped at them curiously.

Somewhere in the tree near him, Eren could hear Issy busy whistling for her mate. The sound was shrill and urgent, making Eren wince to hear it so close to him. His ears twitched a little where they were flattened to the sides of his head. Eren felt a similar urge to call for Levi, stalled only by the surprise of watching Armin go trotting over to the beast in the water.

Eren looked at it, feeling instantly foolish and dumbfounded.

A merman. _Another_ merman. The source of that overpowering smell, perhaps? It filled the air steadily, a heavy musk almost enough to make Eren feel dizzy. He shook himself to clear his head, grateful for the stirring breeze that helped free up the air. Eren gulped, unable to look away from the creature loitering halfway out of the water, using its tale to get a height advantage and scan the shore. It was _huge_. A massive form built of muscle and teeth and navy spines. Death in the water. This thing had to be bigger than Levi and Farlan _combined_.

From its throat, a rumble like distant thunder sounded.

But Armin merely yapped at it. Went all but bouncing towards the merman, and _licked its face_.

Eren blinked dumbly at the scene before him. He recalled the strange scent that had been clinging to Armin, the fact that the little blonde had come all this way. He couldn’t have done so alone, in new and unfamiliar territory.

But then…there was no way…surely Armin couldn’t have been courted by this mountain of a mer?

Armin clicked and warbled at the merman still bobbing by the riverside, Eren hearing only a little of it in his daze. But he watched as the huge creature rumbled some sort of ascent and proceeded to haul himself out of the river and up onto the sandy shore. Shook itself free of more water, exchanging a lazy nuzzle with the smaller blonde.

Eren could hear Issy choking on her surprise.

The sheer difference in size between their little friend and this merman was startling. Armin looked so young next to his suitor, more like a still-growing pup than a newly matured mermaid. Eren couldn’t imagine finding the courage to stand next to such an enormous creature, especially not one so capable of killing. Being _courted_ by this beast must have been a nightmare all to itself.

And yet there Armin sat, chattering away without a care in the world while his merman stretched, acclimatising to being out of the water.

His tail was a light and shimmering blue, dappled with the occasional darker scale here and there. That tail looked like it could easily crush most things if it got something in its hold, thick where it was attached to the merman’s torso and thinning out gradually. Long and heavy-looking, like a python waiting to ensnare and suffocate. Even Levi would have a hard time surviving against this merman if it got a hold of him. The thought alone had Eren shivering where he still clung to a bough of a tree, unwilling to venture down.

But Armin showed no fear of this creature. He bounded around the merman, the older mer sluggish on land as all of them appeared to be. This one especially given its mass. But it happily came to lie on the shore, rolled onto one side to keep an eye on Armin’s excited dashing about.

Armin had done…outstandingly well. With this beast as his mate, there would be nothing that Armin had to fear. He would be safe, and bear strong and healthy pups to this merman.

Issy hissed when the merman’s eyes flickered over to their tree. The icy blue orbs picked out her and Eren’s location, only a slight curiosity lurking in his eyes. Wondering how they got up there, perhaps? Just curious at the presence of so many mers? He’d probably not seen so many mermaids in his life, and now three all at once. Eren couldn’t imagine what he was thinking.

Hopefully not ‘dinner’.

Issy hissed again, flattened against the bough she was on.

At the sound, Armin came trotting over to the base of their tree, kneeling and reaching his hands up the trunk. He squeaked for them to come down. Come down and meet his mate.

The big blonde was introduced to them as _Erwin_. It was a trilling sound with curious rising intonation, not at all an unpleasant name. Erwin looked over at them at the mention of his title, long, finned ears flicking out to catch the sound of their clicking.

When his friends refused to budge, Armin turned a helpless stare on the lazing merman. Caught his blue eyes and whined.

Erwin gave a slow blink in the little blonde’s direction, looking up at the hiding mers like he had no idea what to do with them or how to help. He clicked once over at them, a low and lazy sound of greeting, and proceeded to sun himself. Stretched out and rolled onto his back with a huff, testing his lungs with deep breaths.

From the looks of it, the merman didn’t have that much interest in Eren or Isabel…and they were just fine with that. It meant he didn’t care about chasing them, or hurting them. Or eating them. Armin was the merman’s only interest.

That was very promising.

Eren had to admit…this Erwin was magnificent. His skin was a similar, pale tone as Levi’s. Navy scales dappled his neck and shoulders, a few spattering his jawline, the colour fading to something lighter where his tail began. All scales glittering with each tiny movement, pretty in peak display.

There were many, raking scars marring Erwin’s body. Silver for the older ones, and some pinked areas that indicated newer battles.

It seemed impossible for such an enormous creature to even have evidence of attacks on its body, yet there they were. Still, Erwin seemed uncaring of the scars. Most likely he was proud to have evidence of battles won, or losses survived. In Eren’s eyes it only confirmed that mermen did have their violent tendencies, for that was where those scars had to have come from. Other creatures were clever enough to stay away. It was pride and instinct that drove mermen to fight, to prove themselves and establish order.

For Armin to have met this mer…he would have had to be in the lake. Eren knew this, for they had passed no other mers on their way here. Could this have been the beast that had dragged the sickly merman down into the depths that day? That awful day full of fear and strange mers?

Erwin was certainly big enough to have been that mer that had dragged his attacker down into the murky waters of the lake. If so, then Eren supposed he should be grateful to this merman.

But then…those scars. The newer ones at least…

Could Levi have done that? Fighting for the right to court first?

Could Levi have _won_ against that? Against Erwin, whose ivory claws could cleave open flesh in an instant? Who could no doubt crush the life out of even Levi if he got a good grip on him?

Who hadn’t been able to catch Levi, obviously, if the both of them were still alive.

Eren was beginning to feel a brand new appreciation for just how capable his own mate could be.

 

It took a good while and a lot of Armin’s pleading whimpers, but eventually those huge blue eyes tempted Eren from the trees. Even his wariness of a strange merman couldn’t keep Eren from feeling guilty at being the reason for his friend’s pout.

Armin was delighted when Eren came creeping down from his perch. It was a slow descent, with constant glances in Erwin’s direction to make sure that there merman was staying put. Ears poised forward, eyes wide and suspicious. So much as a twitch and Eren would be right back in the trees. But the merman didn’t move, and Eren made it down to the grass at last.

Oblivious of the brunet’s wary frown, Armin all but leapt at his friend in his eagerness. Squeaking happily, grabbing for Eren’s hands in an attempt to pull him over to meet his merman. Eren refused to budge any further for the moment.

Armin didn’t seem offended. The little blonde beamed over at his mate.

Eren sniffled, shooting a suspicious glance in the merman’s direction over Armin’s shoulder. Sure enough, Erwin was watching them. There was a certain light to his eyes that Eren found unsettling, something like mischief dancing in the icy blue pools that observed them. The look was almost playful and Eren didn’t even want to think about what a game with such an enormous creature might entail. Still, Armin wasn’t covered with bruises or any marks to show that he had been harmed. Perhaps this Erwin was gentle?

Not that Eren planned on getting close enough to find out.

Eren clicked a resigned hello over at the merman, not wanting to appear obstinate. This merman had no allegiance to Eren, and therefore did not have to put up with him if he was rude. In this case Eren felt it would benefit him to mind his manners. It didn’t stop him bristling when Erwin stared him down, though. Eren bared his teeth in a wary sneer, ears wanting to twitch back but he kept them where they were.

The merman made a chortling sound of amusement at the agitated brunet, and Eren did his best not to growl. Erwin chuffed over at him, and that was that.

Eren practically shook with relief, tension leaving him in a weary pant.

At least he could relax somewhat. He had greeted this merman and had received no sign or show of hostility for it. Beside him, Armin was all but radiating happiness and Eren figured they were in the clear for now. He let out a relieved little huff.

Meeting new mers was exhausting.

Too worked up for stillness, Armin went bounding back over to his lounging mate, all pitching squeaks and yaps. He’d barely been this energetic back at their pod.

Maybe having a mate was better for Armin than they’d initially thought?

It certainly seemed that way.

Eren found he didn’t quite know what to do with himself. Armin was content to dash around Erwin like some living obstacle course and Issy was still perched up in the trees. Without Levi’s assurance that it was safe, Eren thought it best not to wander away from the riverside and he couldn’t leave Isabel on her own besides. At last picked out a grassy spot in the shade and settled on his side, keeping a good distance between himself and the chattering mers. Issy had yet to come down so Eren didn’t stray far from her tree. She chittered down at him worriedly, concern written on her face, but for the most part seemed okay. Having Eren close by was helping.

Eren stretched, flexing his toes in the grass, and Issy made herself more comfortable in the branches above.

They watched the odd exchange between Armin and Erwin, amazed by their friend. The little mer scampered around like he was playing with another mermaid rather than a potentially deadly brute, bounding over the shimmering blue of Erwin’s tail. He flopped right over it at one point, yapping, only to let out excited shrieks when the appendage lifted him up until his hands and feet could no longer touch the ground. Even this hulking merman could play, it seemed. Erwin didn’t look like the sort of creature to have the patience for games, and yet there he was indulging Armin. Chortling at the squirming little blonde. Tilting his head to listen for when Armin wanted solid ground again. Guiding him back down to the ground and watching Armin bounce around. Erwin seemed to hold Armin’s bursts of energy in fond regard. He let the little blonde poke and prod at the slippery blue of his flukes, the flesh there not quite see through. Armin tested the weight of it, the whole tail end, in his hands. Pushed under it until the flukes were draped over his back, squeaking in surprise at how heavy they were.

Eren had to admit, they made a sweet pair. He felt warm looking at them, watching the odd exchange, a playful back and forth. Erwin had to be filled with endless patience, not an ounce of annoyance in him even when Armin carelessly clambered over him as easily as he would climb over a log on the ground. Still so curious, carefully reaching to touch areas of fin and spine, crowding in close to trace fingers around the slits of Erwin’s gills.

And all the big mer did was watch him, looking for all the world like he couldn’t imagine a more precious creature than the one he’d courted. Was still courting, from the looks of it. There was no doubt in Eren’s mind that Armin was smitten. Helplessly enthralled by this wondrous anomaly of a creature that smelled like home, just as Levi did for Eren and Farlan for Isabel.

Maybe that was just the way it was between compatible mates? All mers smelled familiar, but true mates smelled like home.

Eren’s mate certainly was taking his time.

Without much else to do, Eren fidgeted. He picked at the grass, caught a worm, then became acutely aware that sand was far more persistent than dirt. The brunet hadn’t paid much attention before, but without the distraction of excitement or fear Eren could really feel the way tiny grains had clung to him. It smelled vaguely of the ocean, a kind of stale saltiness. Eren hadn’t quite decided whether the smell was pleasant or not yet but he suspected that he would grow used to it either way.

The sand stuck to his tongue when Eren tried to clean up a little, and he made a face at the gritty texture. A quick roll through the grass did the trick, though, and he felt mostly sand-free. A little green around the knees and elbows though. Levi would frown at him surely.

He settled in to clean up the worst of the smeared, greenish stains.

There was a rustle and Eren turned in time to watch Issy tumble gracelessly out of her tree. The redhead sat up with surprise plastered all over her face, eyes wide from shock. Eren snickered at her expression, a couple of stray twigs in her hair. Ever the messy one. She turned to stick her tongue out at him. Threw a stick in his direction for good measure.

The two blondes were looking at them, attention caught by Isabel’s tumble, and the redhead aimed a wary greeting in their direction finally.

Erwin sent back a charming greeting. As charming as a creature at least three times your size could get.

Nevertheless, it was a start.

With everything reasonably civil between them all, Armin came trotting over at last. Still beaming away, he helped Eren ease twigs and leaves out of Issy’s hair, the both of them combing careful fingers through her fiery locks in an effort to tame the unruly tufts. Sap sticky and clumping in places; she would need Farlan’s help to clean up properly later.

Issy seemed to know it, huffing her frustration. She glowered at them both for laughing at her before, but purred soon enough at the friendly attention they showered her with. Issy and Eren both sniffed at Armin periodically, noses wrinkling a little at the overpowering scent that clung to him. Erwin, no doubt.

They clicked at the little blonde, curious little sounds leaving their throats, and Armin was all too eager to recount his adventure to them.

He recounted a familiar tale of fear, of fleeing from the pod of land mers when they had been freed. The smell of smoke spreading in the air, fuelling the terror. Yellow-orange light flickering through gaps in the trees and the alarmed cries of their former captors behind them. The mers had headed for the mountains, pups gathered close. One strange, land mer that followed them, only instead of trying to catch any of them this one had been scooping up pups left, right and centre and running onwards with them. A two-legged dash that looked impossible. Armin had no idea how the creature managed to keep up such a fast pace on two legs but it managed anyway even with an armload of pups.

There had been panic. Somehow Armin had become separated from the others. Stumbled and fell through some shrubbery, and by then he was on his own and surrounded by noise. The scuffle of fleeing mers, the frightened squeaking of pups, and harsher sounds growing nearer.

No time to think his way out. Too much distance already between himself and the pod, and enemies close. He couldn’t lead them to the haven.

But he could at least distract them. Make sure the pod was safe.

In his panic to evade the land mers following them, Armin had found himself at the lake where he hid in the shallows, folded down amidst tall reeds. Still as a stone, fighting off shivers in the icy water. He could hear them getting closer, stomping their way through the underbrush.

Cornered there, he had met Erwin. It had been no peaceful encounter, either.

Armin had been cowering in the reeds as a pair of land mers came closer and closer, carrying with them bright lights that blinded the little blonde whenever they flashed by. His cover had been good, maybe even good enough that the land mers would have passed right by him. But they got close to the lake, peering over into the water. Even shining their lights down they hadn’t seen it coming, hadn’t seen _him_ coming, until the literal jaws of death had been right in their faces.

So tense that he couldn’t even make a sound, Armin witnessed the death of two land mers. The beast that took them down was larger than any other living thing Armin had ever seen, and then it turned for him.

Armin hadn’t even realised that he’d made a sound until the monster was looking right at him, pupils blown wide in the dark and a look of confusion written on a blood-smeared face.

The finer details were lost in Armin’s rapid explanation but Eren caught the gist of it. The little blonde had been terrified, considering making a break for it, but Erwin hadn’t attacked him. Had been very careful in his approach, wary of how frightening he must look. Erwin had chirped to Armin until he was calm, then proceeded to show interest in him.

Somehow, despite the horrifying introduction, the pair ended up courting over the course of the next couple of days. Then Erwin had noticed that the lake was empty of other mermen and decided to follow their lead and take his mermaid to safety.

And here they all were.

From the looks of it, Armin and Erwin were definitely in the tail end of their courting phase. Already so comfortable with each other. Armin had been away from his mate a little while now, eagerly chattering with his friends, and Erwin hadn’t once looked worried that the little blonde would not return to him. There was no such insecurity in him. The big mer was even standing guard, eyes scanning the surrounding area whenever Erwin wasn’t watching the mermaids interact. And he kept a close eye on them, too. Watched over the trio as they warbled away happily, picking at the ground for worms or munching on safe greenery.

Even without knowing this merman, Eren felt a lot better having him there to watch for danger.

It struck the brunet then that he was in a completely new area. There were a thousand things he didn’t even know about this place, and Eren was eager to explore. What new surprises were waiting for him? The thought of new food was exciting, but Eren didn’t know what might be poisonous here. He would have to defer to Levi on that one. That wouldn’t be so bad, after all Levi wouldn’t have brought Eren out here if he wasn’t willing to take care of him. Eren was eager to show his mate that he was capable, though. He’d not gone without a pod before, but the brunet was confident that he wouldn’t starve immediately. Once he knew the land better, his chances of surviving off of his own efforts would improve greatly, but hopefully it wouldn’t come to that.

Eren wondered if he would be able to go foraging with Isabel, even with Armin? Perhaps they would go elsewhere with their mates and this would be the last he ever really saw of them?

If that was the case, Eren hoped that they would find a happy home wherever they ended up.

They’d all managed to find good mates, strong and capable. All of them different in their own ways, but Eren felt that they were all good matches for each other. Surely things would work out for the best.

Looking at Erwin, Eren was sure he would never understand what made his friend decide to attach himself to this merman in particular. There was no way to judge without having gone through the experience.

Erwin blinked over at them, noticing Eren staring in his direction, and arched a brow.

He seemed quite curious about them now, observing the way they acted with such familiarity, initiating a game at a moment’s notice. So friendly and at home with each other. No hostility or wariness, unlike most merman interactions. The way they sprawled to rest or burst into movement, so energetic up on the land in a way that Eren knew for a fact was quite difficult and strenuous for mermen.

His mind went straight to Levi and how easily he’d tired just trying to get a hold of Eren. He’d kept on going anyway. Now that had been a fun game, but thinking about Levi only served to make Eren realise that he missed him.

Or maybe that was less of a yearning and more of an instinctual awareness, for barely a moment later a piercing trill cut through their air.

Eren’s head whipped around to find the source of the noise, along with three other heads. Armin and Issy clicked beside him, but Eren did not share in their confusion. He knew the sound. Levi was calling for him, the voice familiar to Eren’s ears, and the raven sounded worried. Of course he would be, since the mermaids were not where they had agreed to wait. Any number of things might have happened to them and Eren hadn’t even spared a thought for what the mermen might think returning to find their mates missing.

Stupid, how could they have gotten so carried away?

Eren answered his call with a long, pitching wail. Then another, and he sat waiting in the grass, kneading the ground. He’d tried for a hint of worry in his call, hoping to lessen Levi’s shock when he arrived to find more than he was probably bargaining for. At least Levi would know to expect something.

Erwin made a low sound and Armin trotted over to him quickly, eyes searching the water.

It was impossible to miss the incoming mermen. Both of them, Eren saw, were dark streaks shooting their way along the river with incredible speed. And then they were out of the water.

That was perhaps the most startling part.

It happened so quickly. Levi tore out of the water, freezing in place halfway up the bank to look around. Eyes sharp and wide, scanning. He looked stricken, worried eyes finally spotting the mers gathered down the river. No relief showed on his face, though. Even from far away Eren heard the low growl, and then Levi was off again just as Farlan burst forth from the water behind him. They rocked back into the river, a blur of motion, and before Eren could make a sound they surfaced again.

It was an unsettling sight watching the two mermen claw their way up the bank like they were possessed. Eyes wild, pupils blown into fat, dark circles. They dragged themselves along the shore, claws ripping into the earth to pull them along faster.

Eren’s eyes widened at the sight of it.

Levi moved a lot faster when he was fresh out of the water and determined. It was nothing like Eren had seen before. Levi clawed his way over like some sort of demon, teeth baring and a deep sound stirring in his throat.

Eren was drawn to that sound, hearing both a threat and a call. The call was for him, and there was no wondering who the threat was for. Eren was scampering for him without thought, hearing Issy scuttling along when Farlan rumbled out something behind Levi.

The raven had gotten ahead of Farlan quite quickly and he wasn’t slowing down. Levi barked out a harsh sound, eyes locked over Eren’s shoulder. The brunet stopped in the grass, sitting back with a worried whine. He didn’t want to see anyone get hurt, not Levi or his friends or even the gargantuan Erwin. Eren wasn’t even sure that Levi could best the blonde now, not if he relied on his speed to win. In the lake, there was no problem, but in the more cramped river Erwin’s chances of victory were too high to risk violence. Eren had a feeling that, having lost once to the raven already, Erwin would not be feeling merciful if he did get his hands on Levi.

So Eren paused and hovered, a small but hopeful barrier between his mate and his friends. Watching Levi barrelling towards him, all snarls and claws and teeth. Eren shifted anxiously but refused to move, even when Levi would not look at him – his eyes were fixed on Erwin.

The raven got to him so quickly that Eren barely even thought to get out of the way. As a last resort he flattened himself to the ground on his back at the last moment to avoid getting knocked back when Levi kept coming. For a split second Eren thought that Levi would barrel right over him, courting be damned. But clawed hands came to a thudding stop either side of Eren’s head, a cold tail whipping around like some kind of living shield on one side, partially blocking the mermaid from Erwin’s view. The merman stopped right over him, snarling at a worrying volume that had Eren’s ears flattening against his head. Marvelling up at Levi with wide eyes, a shock of cold flesh and vicious teeth come to defend him. Levi hid him from the world as best he could, chest heaving, already tired from the burst of movement on land. Eren’s view consisted of Levi’s chest hovering above him. Caged in by arms, hands planted near to his head.

Eren tipped his head back, following the pale line of neck and jaw and finding Levi looking dead ahead. Staring Erwin down, no doubt. Pulled into the grasp of defensive instinct; the need to protect what was his. In a rather dramatic way, really.

He’d still stopped, though. Eren could hardly believe it even as he witnessed the odd miracle. Even threatened as he was, Levi would rather stand between his mate and danger than abandon Eren to go fight. Perhaps he had learned from the last time? Eren certainly thought so, for he wasn’t being given any room to flee should the urge cross his mind. Levi wouldn’t lose him that way again.

The more aggressive side of Levi was showing, but all Eren could do was smile helplessly. A fierce roar ripped from the raven’s throat, the noise of it near-deafening, and Eren winced but did not cower. The vibrations of the sound reached Eren where they touched. His heart raced, a lively pitter-patter behind his ribs from the thrill of witnessing such a powerful creature come to his aid.

With a few, heaving breaths Levi seemed to calm a little. Just barely.

His head ducked then and Levi blinked down at Eren, rage-blackened eyes seeming out of place with the worried expression on his face. Concern bleeding through his defensive display. The gentle cooing that came next was even stranger, but not so off-putting that Eren didn’t click back that he was okay.

Levi seemed dubious, sending another livid glare Erwin’s way. He hissed again for good measure before turning his attention back to Eren when all the blonde merman did was huff at him. Accusing, like Levi’s sudden entrance had thoroughly spoiled his afternoon.

The casual behaviour only seemed to rile Levi further, truly feral sounds stirring in his throat. Even knowing that he wouldn’t be harmed, Eren felt intimidated. Claws strangled the earth not far from his head, and every once in a while Levi’s tail would thump against the ground with enough force to make Eren’s flinch. Farlan was putting up his own fearsome display somewhere out of Eren’s sight, and it was rowdy enough to gain Erwin’s attention.

The moment the blonde looked away, Levi busied himself crowding Eren. Faces held close, dark eyes boring into owlish teal orbs. Eren blinked at him, giving a surprised bleat at the sudden proximity, which seemed to satisfy Levi. The mermaid didn’t seem traumatised, but Levi wasn’t done. He edged a tad lower, nose pressed to Eren’s skin to look for hints of distress or traces of scent that shouldn’t be there. It mattered a great deal to Levi and he sought out the smell of himself on Eren. Almost a part of him, as it would be after they were mated. The raven nosed at Eren’s throat, tongue sliding out to torment the scales there into secreting some scent.  It took a moment before Eren realised Levi was looking for any signs of claim that Erwin might have left on him, but the little mer hadn’t even been close enough for anything like that to occur.

He clicked as much, head tilting to the side anyway to grant Levi room. Explaining that didn’t stop Levi from searching, inspecting and trailing down over little patches of scale. His own scales leaking scent onto him where they brushed Eren’s skin, the smell of it leaving the mermaid dizzy.

Eren took a deep breath, but that hardly helped.

The little mer gave a dazed mewl, letting his head fall completely to one side. It earned him a low rumble, a reverberating sound meant to comfort him, and Levi let his tail shift and slide over Eren. Wet from more than just water; it left pheromone-rich oils glistening on the mermaid. Eren let it happen, squirming in what little space he had while Levi checked him over. The brunet hoped it would at least distract Levi from any unpleasant urges, even if it brought a few embarrassing ones to Eren’s attention. He was thankful that Levi only paused briefly to mark up his thighs, leaving the tender flesh there wet and tingling.

Eren mewled and the assault was over. A still-dripping Levi hovered over Eren again, satisfied that his young mate was unharmed and unswayed in his affections.

Risking a glance, Eren was relieved to see Levi’s eyes were returning to something more normal. The pupils had shrunk; Levi’s gaze was no longer at unsettling odds with the rest of him. Eren offered a tiny smile, hopeful and coy. His ears twitched up, waiting for some response, before settling again when Levi finally huffed at him.

The raven bent to flick his tongue against Eren’s mouth in a more intimate greeting, but nipped at the mermaid’s ear before Eren could get too comfortable. Levi’s eyes narrowed now, his mouth forming a stern line. He didn’t look angry, but it wasn’t a positive expression either. Levi glowered down at him until Eren fidgeted, glancing away with a whine. He was in trouble. It hadn’t been his fault that they had wandered away from where the mermen had left them to wait, and everything had happened so quickly. Eren didn’t think that Levi would appreciate excuses, though.

So Eren whimpered apologies instead, curled against a part of Levi’s tail still shielding him and hugging it. Doe eyes peeped up at Levi at an angle, pleading silently now for mercy.

Levi sniffed, making a show of being unsure.

He didn’t even flinch when Eren bit at his tail, then, little canines gnawing harmlessly in tantrum. Eren looked about as threatening as a fish out of water, pouty and whining for forgiveness around a mouthful of his mate’s tail. Doe eyes blinking piteously. Ears folded back in innocent display, even if his actions decidedly cancelled out his attempt. Levi scoffed down at him, jostling his tail gently to dislodge Eren’s bite. It worked. The brunet came away coughing a moment later with a tongue coated in oil – his bite releasing scent from flushed scales.

A muted warble of amusement left Levi, the merman shaking his head at Eren’s face – a mix of surprise and distaste.

Levi snorted at him, busying himself with settling carefully beside Eren, tail tucked about them, while the brunet sputtered and wiped at his mouth. The raven snuffled briefly by Eren’s hair, nosing at the fluffy strands.

Levi was quiet for too long, and when Eren finally checked on him the raven was back at his death-staring. Keen eyes trained over towards Erwin, although the blonde was probably not paying them the slightest bit of attention. Somewhere nearby Farlan could be heard snorting and clicking, no doubt inspecting Issy in a similar manner to what Eren had just undergone. The little redhead huffed and yapped a lot, displeased with her treatment.

She wouldn’t try to break free of her merman’s smothering hold, though.

Neither of them would. Eren tipped his head back, glancing over at the two blondes. Even Armin was sitting safely behind the barrier of Erwin’s heavy tail, big blue eyes worrying over the situation. Erwin himself blinked almost dumbly at the occasionally snarling mermen that had settled a good distance away, within sight and earshot but not close. It would take only seconds to cross that space, but it would be enough for the mermen to get in front of their mates should the need arise.

Erwin watched the scene with something like surprise, gathering Armin close with one arm like he weighed nothing.

And that was that. An uneasy peace was established now that it was confirmed that no mate-stealing had occurred, nor been planned. Each mer there was spoken for, all of them paired accordingly. The mermaids remained in close proximity to their chosen suitors, hovering and trying their best to distract and soothe the tension that rose in the air. Erwin, for the most part, observed the way the other mermen treated their mates – the possessive curl of Levi’s tail, the leaner end coiled about Eren’s legs like the raven wanted to wrap Eren up safe and keep him there. A sound from Eren was all it took to break Levi’s focus on scowling everything into submission, loosening his constricting hold on the mermaid. Farlan had planted his whole self between Isabel and the others, wary of even Levi with tensions high. From time to time Issy’s head would pop up, curious eyes taking in the scene, before Farlan would coax her back down again.

Finally Eren keened for freedom, eager to stretch and get Levi’s weight off of him. The merman was hovering again and he was _heavy_. It was a reluctant few moments but eventually Levi rolled back, watching intently as Eren got himself up only to shake off and flop back onto the grass. Pushed his limbs outwards, stretching with a relieved sound and nudging Levi with his toes.

The raven did not appear amused.

Levi was not impressed with Eren’s efforts to reconcile with his friends, either. That meant wandering away and out of arm’s reach, and the merman wouldn’t have that. Not right then.

So Eren stayed put. Worrying, nuzzling whenever Levi’s scowl got mean enough that he might try starting something. Eren trotted around and draped himself over Levi’s side, closing his eyes to shut out the negative influences, the sight of frequent sneers from the mermen. Eren even managed a cautious purr, hoping that the steady, thrumming vibration would help to calm his Levi down.

It seemed to help. Levi brought an arm up around him, purring back from time to time.

As much as they were making a fuss, the mermen didn’t really seem to have it in for each other beyond frequent begrudging stares. It made sense. These three had lived in the same lake, waiting together. Even if it wasn’t their preferred choice, they were at least familiar with one another. They had even all come together to take down an enemy merman, although Eren had no idea if that effort had been coordinated or not. Perhaps it had just been a well-timed coincidence. Eren was grateful for it regardless.

The mermen had proved that they could work together, even by accident. Now all Eren had to do, essentially, was babysit his moody mate until they saw fit to depart.

That in itself was a task.

Eren fussed constantly, planting himself in front of Levi with a worried frown when he shifted as if to get up. Any untoward movement was checked. Eren had never glowered anything into submission before and he wasn’t entirely sure that was what he was doing now. The raven stayed put, though he looked at Eren like he knew exactly what the mermaid was doing. A small and optimistic peacekeeper. Levi’s gaze would drift over the mermaid’s shoulder, eyes unmoving other than to blink, nostrils flared. The raven would go unnaturally still, the same stone-like stillness of a hunting beast. Even without any action, there was a threat of violence hanging in the air and it had the mermaids on edge.

Across from them, Erwin lay on his side in the sand. A big, lazy brute. Just looking at him made Eren anxious, and he couldn’t begin to imagine how Armin must have felt meeting his mate for the first time. The little blonde was smaller than Eren, Isabel being the smallest of their bunch. Eren was not surprised to see her sticking close to Farlan, shooting constant glances in Erwin’s direction.

The big merman gave a smug rumble, watching Armin scuttle around.

For once the little blonde was the adventurous one of the group, bounding around this enormous creature. Armin was the only one out of their whole group that actively ignored the wary aura that had settled. He rolled about, went trotting over to the shrubbery in search of food, brought Erwin back little bits of plant matter for the big blonde to stoop and sniff at. Armin even came bouncing over to his friends at one point, careless of the other mermen posturing and sneering at his mate.

Farlan spat a hiss at him, wary. Armin paused, blinked, and threw a handful of sandy dirt at the merman’s face. Levi practically howled in amusement, near-winded in his heaving laughter. Eren didn’t laugh, couldn’t quite manage it over the shock of just seeing Armin putting another merman in its place. Issy couldn’t help but snicker at her mate’s bamboozled expression and sneezing, and Eren felt a helpless smile pull at the sides of his mouth watching Armin pad past Farlan to plop himself down next to Isabel. Erwin chortled at the scene, clearly proud of his little prankster.

Armin trotted back and forth between Eren and Isabel, chattering away with the both of them. Levi paid him no mind, and Farlan was too wary of another mouthful of dirt to try snapping at him again.

Eventually the mermaids got restless, eager to go off in search of food.

The panic and fear faded and settled into a resigned sort of wariness as the group of mers decided to eat. It was a somewhat begrudging peace, at least on Levi and Farlan’s part. They remained on edge despite the mermaids’ best efforts. Eren resigned himself to staying between Levi and his easy path to violence, hoping that it would deter the raven from acting out.

Thankfully that seemed to be working.

The mermen reluctantly slithered off to gather up their previous catch – the reason why the two of them had been taking so long to come back for their mates. Farlan and Levi had gone hunting, although in the rush to find and defend their mermaids the fish had been left in the mud of the riverbank. It wasn’t far to go, but both mermen cast frequent glances back over their shoulders as they went.

In the end Eren gave up and went trotting after them; at least then one of the mermen would move at more than a snail’s pace.

There were a lot of fish. Eren helped bring some back, making a couple of trips. He suspected that Levi was going to try and fatten him up, leave him spoiled from all the new and different foods that he would be able to provide now that they were in his territory. The way Levi puffed up when Eren sat marvelling at the growing pile of food only helped to prove that theory.

While Levi was making his last trip back, Eren hurried to share a few of the fish with Armin. He wasn’t sure when they’d last eaten, and Erwin looked to be in no particular hurry to go and find them something. Armin accepted three fat salmon with a hasty chirp of thanks, scurrying quickly back to Erwin before Levi could spot what was going on and get rowdy.

The raven did notice. Eren winced, learning that he was not at all as subtle as he thought, but Levi just rolled his eyes. Tossed the last of the fish into the pile and laid down on his stomach to get to work.

Eren discovered that he wasn’t allowed to touch the fish until they were properly ready for eating. There were other things, green and slimy things, that Levi did let Eren prod at. He tugged one out of a little green pile, holding it up between pinched fingers and raising both eyebrows.

It was some kind of plant, slippery and…kind of unpleasant really.

Eren warbled at Levi, curious of this strange gift he’d brought. It smelled of the sea and looked like it should be thrown back there if Eren was honest. He conveyed as much to the raven, and Levi smirked at him. He made a sound, another new word for Eren.

_Seaweed_ , he said.

It certainly looked like a weed.

Why was Levi bringing him ocean weeds?

Levi assured the brunet that the plant had been washed in the river, and was perfectly safe. Oh, Eren thought. He was meant to _eat_ it.

The face Eren made must have been priceless because Levi started shaking, his face amused when Eren checked. He leaned over to butt his head against Eren’s knee when the brunet shot him an unimpressed look. It didn’t stop him chortling, though.

He couldn’t put off eating it forever, especially not with Levi staring at him, amused eyes daring him to try the stuff. It was cold on the tongue, but flavoursome when Eren bit and chewed. He squeaked his surprise, unsure if the taste reminded him of anything he’d had before. It was pleasant, though, and that was surprising enough to keep Eren quietly munching away while Levi prepared the rest of his catch.

Thick strips of flesh were handed over, Levi watching him chew dutifully rather than simply scarfing the morsels down. The mermaid was hungry, certainly, but Levi had brought more than Eren could really eat. He made it known when he was full, curling up to watch Levi and wait for his stomach to settle after so much food.

At some point Armin had made it back to Erwin, though he was busy chittering now, something calculating in his tone. When Erwin pushed himself up with a groaning noise, it had every mer’s attention. The big blonde only headed for the river, though, and Eren understood quickly.

He’d not known Armin to be bossy frequently, but apparently he could get even the scariest of creatures to do his bidding.

Armin wanted his own lunch. His friends got to feast on fish, and Armin clearly didn’t see why he should miss out.

And Erwin, enormous and frightening as he was, just went along with it.

Eren blinked at the empty space where Erwin had been, now just a comfortable patch of body-warmed grass for Armin to sit and preen on. He wasn’t even trying to hide how smug he was. Eren would have to take notes from his friend. Even Levi, doting as he could be, wasn’t that…what was the term? Obedient?

The brunet almost snorted at the thought, turning to glance over at Levi. Levi, who even with a mouthful of fish managed to look somewhat serious as he scowled back. As if he knew exactly what Eren had been thinking.

Eren grinned at him, probably an unsettling expression. Grey eyes squinted at him and Eren could feel the ‘don’t even think about it’ aura that settled over Levi.

Levi may have been smitten, but he would always be just a little bit feral. And that was okay, because Eren hadn’t set out to tame him. He was understanding that mermaids courted monsters, and if it had been such a bad idea they would have stopped doing so thousands of years ago. And yet here they were, with millennia of engrained instinct. It wasn’t wrong to belong to a beast.

Eren was still curled up in contemplation when Erwin returned. Noisy as he must always be; there wasn’t much about this merman that was subtle.

Surprisingly, though, the other mermen weren’t as hostile when they could hear Erwin coming a mile away. Maybe the big mer was doing it on purpose?

Eren closed his eyes for a bit.

It was a mostly peaceful meal if one could ignore the not-so-subtle posturing of all three mermen. Eren had a sneaking suspicion that Erwin was just doing it to rile the other two. He seemed to like getting a rise out of the other mermen. Levi especially.

Although that was no surprise. Even Eren didn’t mind the tense situation if he got to see Levi’s calm mask drop. The raven had no control over himself round about then. He was too defensive. Too easily irked. He wanted to go, that much was becoming clear, but for the sake of Eren’s comfort they waited. Swimming on a full stomach was a bad idea anyway.

But staying meant putting up with Erwin’s cheeky, if harmless, teasing. Every once in a while the blonde would glance in their direction just a tad too long and then came Levi’s startling warning hisses. Loud, challenging noises that never failed to make Eren flinch, not to mention the way Levi’s jaw seemed to open a little too wide. Jaw oddly unhinged. All teeth on display. It made Eren jump every time, which was unsurprising given that Levi was practically atop him again. Curved against his back, leaning up to snarl and spit.

What had any mermaid ever been thinking, tying themselves to such worrisome creatures?

And to top it all off seeing Levi so actively protective of him made Eren tingle with something far from fear. The buzz of vibration from low and guttural growls stirred a sluggish warmth in the brunet. The warmth he was familiar with, but the urges it tried to pull from him were not. For once Eren felt like he knew what to do with himself, despite the daze that threatened to take over. Eren almost wanted to tempt Levi away from the others, rub up against him to show just how hot and bothered he got watching his mate hiss and snarl, baring his teeth and thumping his tail on the shore. The raven rocked back up onto his tail when he felt especially irritated, fanning out the fins and spines along his body to show off his threat display. The colours were spectacular with Levi being in the peak of his cycle, scales flushed bright to tempt a mate were also especially useful when he was trying to intimidate.

Eren couldn’t deny, though, that he was sufficiently attracted.

Erwin’s eyes narrowed on the raven, something almost bitter in those blue orbs, and Eren knew it was because this merman had lost a fight to Levi once before. Even if it had all worked out in the end, that defeat would have stung.

Levi folded his fins away, sneering at him still. No bitterness in his eyes, just a warning to keep his distance. The raven held no ill will against the other two so long as they kept to themselves.

Dropping back down, Levi turned to check on Eren. Found the little mer all but swooning.

Eren trilled up at him, high and musical, rolled onto his back.

The little mer stared, eyes low-lidded and gaze appreciative. Eren was looking a little dazed, his scent picking up a little sweeter in the air. Beneath cool fingers, already hot flesh was growing warmer.

Almost time. Levi knew they didn’t have long. Just long enough, if Eren could be distracted until they got back to the cave.

He would have a little more time for his stomach to calm after so much food, probably not much more than an hour or two. If Eren’s condition became any more prominent, Levi would tow him to the river without a second thought.

Soon Eren would see home. Their home, as it would finally be shared between the two of them.

Letting out a soothing croon, Levi settled in to wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally got some WinMin in there, goddamn. Took me long enough. I hope you all enjoyed seeing Armin, and being properly introduced to merman!Erwin. He's a beast. As you can see, though, Armin has him sufficiently smitten.
> 
> I promise they'll get to the damned cave next chapter; it was going to happen this chapter but 8,000 words of mer interactions just happened and I didn't have the patience to edit a 12,000 word chapter.
> 
> I'll try to get the next chpt out soon. Looks like there will be 26 instead of the planned 25 since I split this chapter.


	23. Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some smitten mermen, Levi's cave, and also the fishporn y'all have been waiting for.

Settled at last, Eren had set his heart on braving the tense atmosphere and going over to see Isabel. Cautious but determined, the brunet padded over. Watched over by Levi, who looked on with narrowed eyes in case the situation dissolved into something unpleasant. Eren made it though, keeping careful distance between himself and Farlan just in case the merman was still feeling particularly on edge.

The blonde seemed to have learned his lesson with Armin, though, for he let Eren approach without a fuss.

Issy beamed between Farlan and Eren, happy that they were getting along.

Peace boded well for all of them in the long and short term.

Levi livened without Eren close by, restless and casting constant glances over his shoulder. Staring off in the direction of the sea. Checking on the tide, and whatever else that had to be monitored with so much water around. Eren couldn’t blame Levi for being on edge, especially since they were so close to what had been the merman’s goal ever since he’d left the ocean in the first place. Find his mate and bring them home; that had always been the plan even before Eren had been aware of it. But, even though they were so close, Levi understood Eren’s wishes to spend a little time with his friends when they weren’t going to see one another again for a while. The mermaids would need time to settle into their new homes and lives. They would settle better if there were no lingering doubts or worries, and being able to see off their friends would help.

So Levi watched them, albeit twitchily.

They tussled in a little pile, rolling and squeaking. The sight reminded Levi of years and years ago, when he would watch his fellow pups playing near his home pond. Although these were completely different mermaids, they played the same games. Chasing each other. Diving into shrubs to scare moths out from their hiding places. Barking and yipping back and forth and stealing caught moths off each other. The fact that these mers were young enough to fall so easily into their games and distractions made Levi feel even more protective of them. Such soft and different creatures, they were. Capable, of course, of defending themselves. But they were also vulnerable, and not all threats could be fought off with a loud display of yaps and little, forager’s claws.

From his spot on the shore, Levi glanced at his hands and the longer curve of his own claws where they rested over grass. These weapons were more than enough to keep Eren safe. Levi had the advantage of teeth and a terrible, constricting tail, as well as devastating speed. All things that, at a whim from Eren, could call chaos.

And Eren, oblivious to the power he held, sent Levi a look of breathless jubilance during a pause in the latest game of tag, big eyes full of love and mischief. Levi blinked back at him, helpless.

Of all the creatures to command the loyalty of mermen, why were mermaids so innocent?

Levi hadn’t met many, but Eren and his friends were all so…cute. Like awkward, baby deer stumbling through life, undeterred by how many times they tripped and fell, or wobbled on unstable legs. Always ready for a new adventure. The mermaids Levi knew were sweet and helplessly charming. It was impossible to be annoyed at a being that meant well in everything they did. No ill motives. The only sly thing about them being their playfulness.

That was a slyness that Levi could certainly abide by; it definitely made life more interesting.

Mermaids were, in a word, lovely. Levi was proud to have been able to know all the ones he had met, and those had essentially been the pups he’d been raised with and the ones before him now. Few, and far in between, but ever-cherished.

Looking at his comrades, it was beyond clear to see just how much good their mates had done for them. Were still doing for them.

Farlan had always been more inquisitive and docile than most mermen. He had been that way ever since he’d been a pup; it was one of the things that had even allowed Levi to form a unit with him at all. At first it had been purely for survival, like any merman pups that banded together when they were still weeks old, just barely relocated to the ocean. A lot of pups had that behaviour, working together to get food and find safe havens from larger predators, but it rarely lasted past the first few months. Mermen grew quickly, and were usually fast enough to go it alone from only a few months old. Size came later, but they only had to outsmart their predators until they outgrew them.

But Farlan had stuck around long after their fellows had drifted away. Deadly only to his prey, and always too curious of passing mermen. He’d tagged along with Levi, the both of them living off of reefs and then heading out into the deep ocean. Startling their solo kin – seeing two mermen together was naturally scarier than seeing just one.

Levi had written it off as the blonde being a late bloomer, always assuming that his instincts would catch up to him sooner or later.

All this time, years and years later, and the dopey blonde was still following him around. Farlan still had his back, even after they’d finally felt the urge to turn on each other upon arriving at the lake not even that long ago. They’d found their mates together, so Levi knew it was for the best that they hadn’t gone their separate ways. Who knew what might have happened to Farlan, too curious for his own good at times, had he decided to go solo? He might never have found the river, then the lake, and then finally Isabel.

Isabel, who was far too much like Farlan. Twice as energetic and just as curious, but with enough spirit to command even Farlan’s distractible attention. Issy didn’t seem like the type to shy from anything, and if Farlan challenged his mate to a fight the little redhead would probably come out the victor. She was a small but fiery force to be reckoned with.

Farlan was lucky to have her.

And Erwin. There would be nothing to save him from Armin, possibly the only truly sly mermaid out there. Armin was far too smart for a big brute like Erwin, and Levi was stupidly pleased with the knowledge that Armin would walk all over his mate. And Erwin would undoubtedly enjoy every minute of it.

All three mermen had their eyes on the little mers. Smitten, all of them.

Playful screeches sounded occasionally, and Levi watched the scuffling play. All three mermaids scrambled, little claws digging into the earth for purchase, trying to catch and pin each other. They rolled and tumbled without a care in the world, biting without any true aggression to free themselves and the game began again.

Eren was only a little fellow, but out of the three mermaids present he was the biggest. He was good at catching his friends, fast and with enough mass behind him to pin them easily, but the Armin and Isabel had their own strategies.

They were not above ganging up on the brunet.

Levi’s snickering at his mate being pinned was not appreciated by Eren. Teal eyes glowered at him from upside down, the orbs shining and slightly wild from play, and the little mer jostled about until he was free again and went trotting towards merman. Levi arched an eyebrow at Eren, but the mermaid bypassed the raven’s waiting gaze and went for his tail, collapsing on part of it. Turned his playful attentions there, wrestling with the lifeless appendage until Levi moved it, lazily attempting to coil his tail around the brunet. Over legs that kicked lazily, and he let himself be dislodged. It wouldn’t do to upset Eren before they’d even gotten to move into their home.

The mermaid flopped over Levi’s tail in an effort to prevent his own capture, a little growl stirring in his throat which he aimed at the sluggish appendage that moved beneath him.

Eren’s skin was warm from the exertion of playing with his friends, and it felt quite hot against the much cooler scales of Levi’s tail. He knew not to be worried – Eren had always run at a different core temperature to the merman.

Little points of pressure along his tail came to Levi’s awareness. Eren was biting at him again, not bothering to be gentle but Levi was used to a lot worse. No blood drawn, Eren was careful enough for that. Just a lot of playful nipping, little hisses whenever the raven shifted. Eren would make a displeased sound and readjust his grip on Levi, like he could ever really pin the merman. Levi thought to himself that it probably shouldn’t have seemed endearing to watch his mate growling and tussling with his tail, ears twitching up occasionally with the distraction of Armin and Issy still rolling about somewhere. Somewhere during his play Eren lost his rebellious mood and settled for licking at the newly-wetted scales he’d been gnawing on, almost sleepy in his actions.

It was when Eren rolled over to face Levi, stretching and scooting his way a little higher to rest his head near Levi’s hips, that the raven became fully still. With Eren right by his slit, blinking those oh-so-innocent eyes up at the merman, it was impossible to be distracted. All of Levi’s attention was on his mate. Doubly so when Eren shifted, opened his mouth, and sank his teeth into the scales of Levi’s hip, eyes flitting over to glance at the merman’s slit for a moment, suggestive. The pressure was gone quickly, replaced by a soft, wet tongue licking almost idly.

Levi felt the shock of confusion and arousal, unsure if Eren was purposefully trying to torture him or not.

The brunet blinked up at Levi soon after, face resting against the blue of the raven’s scales and grooming apparently done with for the moment.

Eren yawned, shaking himself off a little, and Levi knew it was time.

Before they could tire, and before the sun started to set, they would need to head home.

Levi’s tone alone had Eren perking up, ears flicked forward, attentive. All traces of playfulness were gone, and Eren sat up with an air of seriousness about him as he waited for Levi to announce their departure. Despite his youth and tendencies for mischief, Eren knew that they were entering significant moments in their lives. He was about to be shown to his new home and introduced to this new way of life, something he would no doubt have to grow into.

Goodbyes were exchanged between the mermaids, Eren nuzzling his friends farewell while Levi clicked a more stern goodbye to the observing mermen. Formal, but grateful. They had all been through interesting turns of events, situations that had tested their resolve and self-control on an instinctual level, and all had come out better for it. Things weren’t perfect, not by a long shot, but Levi felt the hope that they had the beginnings of a relatively peaceful community being built between them. Perhaps they could even rely on one another in the years to come, and adjust their natural instincts to bicker and brawl as they went.

Even as Levi slid back into the river, swimming off with Eren keeping pace on the shore, the raven allowed himself that hope.

Eren trotted along the riverside, a mix of purposefulness and excitement about him. Knowing that a new home awaited him was exciting enough, but the little mer knew nothing beyond that. He all but buzzed with eagerness, teal eyes bright with countless questions. Noting the landscape, the dunes that rose rugged and ever-shifting underfoot. Piled sand, thrown there roughly by larger waves that were, for the moment, absent.

The ocean was calm but rising, too slow for the naked eye to keep track of. Fast enough, though, to make Levi hurry. He checked on Eren often, chirping reassurances. There was reason for haste but not panic, and Eren should know the difference.

To his credit, Eren was remarkably well behaved. The playful pup had vanished for the moment, leaving behind a rather serious Eren who looked so determined that he practically frowned. So cute. He kept up a quick pace, doing his best not to be distracted by new things. It was such an odd sight, seeing the mermaid actively giving thought to his behaviour as he had never done during their courting. Levi couldn’t have been prouder of him. Eren barely hesitated when Levi called him over to the water again when the river spilled out into the sea, edged by sandy dunes. Down the sandbanks he slid, slipping on the unstable ground. Eren didn’t seem to mind. He tumbled on, uncaring of the little grains that stuck to him for they washed off in the little waves he went splashing into. In the icy shock of water Levi was almost warm. Eren clung to him gladly, happy to balance atop the merman’s front while Levi swam them towards their destination.

Away from the beaches, through the chilly water, their home awaited.

A cliff face loomed ahead of them, bright in the afternoon sunlight like a slab of gold rising up out of the rippling water. Beautiful, like an enormous and magnificent jewel.

It beckoned, silent and almost foreboding, and Eren knew immediately that was where they were headed.

Levi’s territory was, at least at first glance, magnificent.

The rising cliffs were like nothing that Eren had ever seen before, unlike the mountains he had grown up with. These were probably not as tall, but they were far more striking. Little chinks and chipped away bits of rock allow for dark shadows to be cast, speckling the golden cliff face with little details. Eren spied ledges and scraggly plants struggling to grow right into the rock face. Gaps in the rock where birds might find purchase or space to nest. Hollowed out areas underneath the cliff, where wave after wave had worn the stone away, leaving behind great pillars and underwater caves.

A sense of adventure was think in the air, or perhaps that was just the way things always smelled around the sea.

Eren squinted at the landscape, watching the way the shore climbed up and up to form those cliffs, steep and jagged at the ground level where it was battered constantly by the tide. The tide was what they were racing now, according to Levi. The ocean’s waters refused to settle, constantly rising and falling quite dramatically. To be able to safely get Eren into Levi’s lair, they would need to reach the entrance before it was swallowed by the sea.

This, Levi had explained, happened every day. It was ideal, really. The raven’s home needed water in it for Levi to be able to stay there without dehydrating, and the dramatic rising of the tide allowed the ocean’s level to actually reach his home, replenishing what water was caught there each day at high tide.

Eren didn’t like the sound of that, water having a mind of its own seemed very troubling. He was assured, as they travelled, that it was quite safe except during storm season.

Brilliant. They would come to that problem when it arrived, Eren supposed. Still, this place was ideal for avoiding land mers. It seemed well out of their element, and if the sea could hide Levi’s lair then all the better. Even if it seemed worrying, Eren would gladly bear with the unknown in order to stay safe.

Beaches and strips of sand trailed haphazardly along the shoreline, great dunes of sand dumped their by the bigger waves and storms, no doubt, to be slowly eased back into the sea until the next big storm.

In some places the rock of the cliffs ran uninterrupted from the tops to where the stone plunged into the sea.

Seeing trees sprouting from atop the cliffs made Eren long to find a way up there and explore. To see if those trees and their odd, branchless trunks could be climbed.

And the view from such a high vantage point would have to be spectacular.

A trill got Eren’s attention, and he blinked down at Levi. The merman had raised his head, blinking water out of his eyes, and he chirped at Eren.

They had stopped, at last, right next to the cliff. It stretched high above them, almost to the sky from the looks of it although Eren knew that couldn’t be true. A nice thought, though, to have a place so close to the sky. Near to where the birds flew freely.

Levi chirped again, and Eren froze when he realised the merman wanted him to hop off.

Wide eyes fixed immediately on the dark water, the depth of it unknown to Eren but certainly deep enough that he couldn’t see the seabed. He whimpered, the sounds in his throat growing high and worried. Steadying hands curled around his hips, a soundless vibration stirring in Levi’s chest. Eren couldn’t hear it, but he felt the attempted comfort and tried to calm himself.

They had to go under the water.

Not for long, if Levi was being truthful, but the entrance to their home was nonetheless currently beneath the waves. High tide was pulling in, and Levi explained that was significant to whether or not his lair was accessible above water or not.

It only took a few, scary moments for Eren to sink down into the water, holding tightly to Levi who held him in turn. He kicked his legs experimentally, displeased with the cold. Levi was patient with him, waiting for the mermaid to wrap his legs around his hips. Eren tucked his head in against Levi’s shoulder, careful not to block his gills. He waited, shivering. Ears flattened worriedly to his head, they twitched out to catch the quiet sounds of comfort that Levi cooed by his head. The raven held Eren around his upper chest and back, squeezing the brunet’s ribs to reassure him that he was in the safest place he could be. Eren let go of a small, rattling breath and ducked closer almost imperceptibly.

Levi took it as the sign that it was, giving a single click of warning to let Eren know they were about to submerge.

It was barely even that.

They dipped below the water, Eren’s breath held and eyes shut tight, and even though they were only under a few seconds at most Eren still gasped for air when they surfaced again. Levi didn’t make a fuss of it, fondly watching a bedraggled Eren shake water from his hair. His death grip loosened a fraction. Still tight, but reassured by Levi’s unyielding hold on him. They bobbed there as Levi treaded water for the both of them, safe now under some kind of cavern that had been worn into the cliff. It was dark around, but not pitch black. A heavy sort of gloom.

Eren blinked around, eyes wide in the lack of direct sunlight. His legs uncurled from Levi, dangling again as he waited for his eyes to adjust and take in the surrounds.

Water, mostly. Gentle and lapping here, protected from the stirring wind. All around were little ledges and footholds, great pillars of stone that had yet to be worn away which held up the dense rock above.

Another chirp from Levi brought Eren’s eyes back to the raven. Grey eyes dilated in the dark, assessing. Levi wanted to know if his mate was alright and Eren supposed that, despite being newly-drenched and cold, he was relatively fine.

He clicked as much, looking around again, and Levi must have taken his enthusiasm for an answer.

They rocked forwards in the water and, steadily but surely, Levi swam them over to one of the jutting ledges of rock that was, so far, still above the water.

Helpful hands pushed Eren up onto the ledge, ushering him forward.

They needed to move quickly, which Levi explained in a series of brief clicks as he hauled himself up onto the rock next to Eren. Ahead of them, the brunet spied a hollow in the rock. A tunnel, as it turned out, and that was where they headed. From the rounded entrance point, it became a rather steep slope upwards. Dark but with filtering light from above. A strange kind of glow.

Eren gave a cautious mewl, trying to see ahead, but it was too dark for much detail to be revealed.

Levi led the way, hands reaching for familiar cracks and footholds. A well-learned path. No doubt the merman had come this way hundreds of times. Maybe thousands? This was his lair, his territory, and Eren wasn’t surprised to see the merman navigate the darkness without a second thought. Levi pulled himself up the slope, tail trailing after him, used only occasionally to push at certain spots and help the ascent. Suddenly Eren had a new appreciation and understanding of Levi’s upper body strength. Climbing this tunnel seemed like a workout in and of itself. Eren followed after the distinctive slither of Levi above him, careful to leave enough distance that he wouldn’t get slapped in the face by the end of Levi’s tail. It still happened twice before he managed to put enough distance between them, and even then droplets still fell from above. Cold, but not unpleasant. Certainly unexpected in the dark.

The interior of the tunnel was damp, although the temperature was reasonably pleasant. Warmed through by the sun shining down all day – it would be a lovely place to bed down during cold nights.

Within moments Levi was gone, already free of the tunnel. He knew it well, and Eren still had a ways to go learning his path in relative darkness. The tunnel was quite short, mercifully, and only a little more than body length. Careful pressing and feeling about served Eren well and he emerged with a grateful huff into a lightened space, the tunnel ending and leading into a hollowed out cave. Bright, but not with daylight. Eren paused, blinking around as his eyes readjusted to the new light.

Plants, he soon realised.

Levi’s cave was filled with little bits of glowing plant life, the source of most of the light in the cave. How bizarre. Eren stared at the luminous flora and the pretty, bluish light it threw off. Like seeing stars up close, Eren could only gawk at the sight for a long while, listening to Levi moving about somewhere ahead of him. The raven had moved further into the cave, making himself at home.

This, Eren realised, was his home now.

The thought was accompanied by a surge of happiness that almost ripped a sob from the mermaid, and he padded cautiously forward to inspect more of his new abode. Much more enclosed than any home Eren had ever known, there was an enormous sense of safety in the stone walls – their life protected and closed off from the outside world. The tunnel emerged onto a rising stone area, a little platform of rock, but soon after the space was filled with water. All of it caught where the stone smoothly dropped down into a bowl, surprisingly deep. Eren crept over the smooth stone outcrop, a little island attached to the entrance to the cavern, and sniffed at the water.

It smelled of the same salt that the ocean held.

That made enough sense, if the sea really could reach this point at high tide.

Eren pressed a careful palm to the water, finding it cool but not frigid like the sea itself. The pool was shallow enough at the edges in most places that Eren felt he wouldn’t have much trouble getting around. Levi could explore the deeper reaches of the pond.

The raven emerged from that deeper water then, close to the edge where Eren lingered, and their eyes met. Both gazes bright with a similar joy.

Levi rolled his way through the water, coming to the edge to push up with his tail enough to bump noses with the mermaid.

_Home_ , he clicked, bobbing in the water again.

 

As it turned out, Levi’s lair was more than just the one cave. After watching Eren splash about at the edges of the pool for a while, Levi casually informed the mermaid that there was, in fact, more to see.

Eren was able to creep around the edges of the water to get to the boulder-like chunk of rock Levi had paused by, and behind it he found another gap in the rock. Another tunnel, this one a lot less gloomy than the entrance tunnel. Far less steep, too. Levi slithered off into it with a warble for Eren to follow, and Eren padded along after him.

More plants existed here, mostly on the ceiling of the passage. There was space enough that Eren could kneel and reach for the little bits of flora above, his fingers not reaching the top even when he strained and stretched, determined. It was a decent tunnel, bug but not enough to stand up in, though.

It wasn’t cramped, and Eren was glad for that. He couldn’t imagine living happily in a world of crowded rock, plagued by claustrophobic nightmares as he might have been had Levi’s lair been smaller and restricting.

But the first cave had been delightful, the tunnels thus far all spacious enough for Eren’s liking.

Even inside a stone lair, Eren felt he could breathe.

There was a hint of breeze, perhaps the reason for the scent of fresh air that stirred. It grew gradually, becoming more obvious to Eren’s nose. He looked for traces of sunlight ahead, but the tunnel went on and on, upwards with every twist and turn.

Levi checked on him often, whistling back at him whenever Eren stopped to poke at things or examine the walls. There were smooth sections of stone where Levi’s scales must have worn the rock down, but in other places there were chinks and scratches – claw marks. Eren paused often at these, reaching to trace the grooves in the stone and wonder at how long his merman must have spent working on this passage. Making it bigger, an easier path to follow.

He had probably done it for Eren, knowing to make his lair more welcoming even before he’d known he’d one day have a mate.

Finally, after what seemed like quite a long walk, Eren noticed the light change as he rounded a corner. Brighter and yellowish, this was definitely sunlight. It wavered on the walls, a reflection – there was water up here somewhere, too. Up ahead, Levi called Eren with an eager bark and the mermaid came scampering along the last stretch of tunnel. Another chamber opened up before him at last, even larger than the first space. Eren paused at the end of the passage, sitting himself down next to where Levi had stopped to wait for him, and took in the new room.

There was far more dry land up here, all of the rock absent of the damp from below. At one side of the cave, Eren spied a pool of water settled into another low spot in the rock. There were scratches around this pond, though, so the mermaid assumed that Levi had carved out his own pool area to ensure that he could stay hydrated on either level of his lair.

Clever merman. The level of work that had been done spoke volumes for the durability of a merman’s claws; Eren was surprised that Levi hadn’t dulled his.

Just past the pool of water there was a slope, this one quite steep and littered with lumpy rocks and a few, nestled boulders. Eren thought he could pick a few paths up through the mess of stone, though. It led up to a gap filled with stunning light.

Daylight, Eren realised, eyes widening. He’d found where it was coming from. This portion of the cave lead directly outside, sheltered from the weather by overhanging rocks and clustering plants that tinted the sunlight greenish. A few gold beams made their way inside, heating up the rock. Warming their home.

Eren wondered at what the outside might hold for him here. When would he get to explore it? He puzzled over how he might make it there, looking for safe paths.

To get to the slope, all one had to do was cross the water. The pond sat along that side of the cave, shallow enough that Eren would only have to paddle to reach land again if the water wasn’t playing tricks on him. It didn’t look all that deep. More of a pool of convenience. For the water to remain there without simply drying up, Eren assumed that it was replenished regularly. Perhaps from rainfall? Another, larger pool or pond somewhere above, even? He would find out eventually.

This was it. The extent of Levi’s lair.

The place was a lot bigger than Eren would ever have dreamed.

The cool presence of Levi’s tail curved itself around where Eren sat and he looked the raven’s way in time to catch a tongue right across the face. He spluttered at the happy display, hearing Levi snickering at his misfortunate timing beside him. Eren rubbed saliva from his face while Levi settled down on his side, a steady, happy thrum stirring in the merman’s throat. Levi was happy to be home. He was looking at Eren when the brunet glanced at him, nodding towards the cave in encouragement.

_Go explore_ , his eyes seemed to say. Levi butted his head against Eren’s hip when the mermaid remained still, a nudge of his tail sending the little mer on his way at last. With obvious permission to wander granted to him, Eren scuttled off to inspect his new home.

Below his hands and knees the stone was warm, pleasant and quite smooth. He shifted into a crouch, moving around that way to climb over jutting bits of rock, finding little spots where he might make a nest. There were nooks and crannies everywhere, places he could stuff collected bedding materials and create a lovely, soft area to sleep. But Eren couldn’t think solely of himself and he knew as much, moving on to find good spots by the water.

A little dip by one of the walls seemed perfect, right next to the pool so that both mers could remain close during the nights. Now that he was closer, there was a covering of squishy moss that lined the pond and a lot of the surrounding rock. Probably grown there from whatever water must come in to refill the pool.

Here, he decided, would be an excellent place to sleep. Softer than plain, hard rock. Somewhere that the both of them could rest in peace and relative comfort.

Eren turned to the pool then with resolve to cross it.

He heard Levi give a rumble of encouragement from across the cave, confident that Eren would be able to make it across without his help. Movement from behind him told Eren that the merman was coming closer anyway, no doubt on the off chance that he panicked halfway across.

Eren splashed into the pond with a determined little frown on his face, finding it a little deeper than he’d thought. Not by much. His feet couldn’t reach the bottom at the middle and he submerged for a moment, pushing up from the bottom and kicking out until he had purchase again on the other side. Not the smoothest of crossings, but good enough. He’d made it, looking up at the slope that would lead outside. Above him fresh air and greenery called, and Eren gave only a brief chirp of farewell before he began to make his way upwards.

It was a tricky climb, but worth it for the tickling brush of clustered plants at the entrance. Or exit, rather. Eren burst out of the gap and took in the sights. A hill, mostly. From the wind that whipped about, Eren figured that it must have been quite high up, nearing the top of the cliff even. He longed to go and take in the view, to see the ocean from so far up.

That would have to be an adventure for another day, though.

Something told Eren that he shouldn’t stray too far, and even without that niggling worry he wouldn’t want to make Levi worry by being gone for too long. He picked his way about the haphazard landscape, the ground made up of lots of rocks and loose dirt. The trees that hung on where they could weren’t tall, but there were still quite a few of them stubborn enough to live so high up, and all around there were smaller plants. The cliff was a mass of rock and greenery, rugged and beautiful.

Eren picked at some of the leaves he found, sniffing and checking the flora for any signs or scents of poison, but it seemed safe enough. There were no berries or fruits nearby. The mermaid would have to travel to find those and he huffed at the thought. Other food would make itself known to him over time, he reasoned, and there were countless birds flocking about the beaches. He could hunt if nothing else.

Not wanting to return immediately, the brunet found himself a suitably large rock to lie down on and proceeded to sun himself. It would be the only chance he got before the sun went down. There couldn’t be any harm in it, and he was close enough to the entrance to Levi’s lair that he should be able to hear the merman calling for him.

 

Eren hadn’t meant to doze off. When he woke again rather suddenly, it was dusk and his world was in shadow. He sat upright with a shock, but his surprise was soon overridden as he realised why he’d even woken in the first place.

A startling tug, deep in his guts, that left his skin hot and itchy. Acute awareness of every sensation in his body, and a rising discomfort. Eren’s eyes blew wide at the first real lurch of heat, struck quickly with a second. Mating drive, Eren realised – his body’s natural instinct unleashed at last. Put off for so long, kept at bay by Levi’s careful tending. Now, though, there was no controlling it.

At the third, uncomfortably tug his insides gave, Eren surged forwards almost without thought, panicked but knowing where he needed to go. There was only one place for it. Only one creature Eren could trust absolutely, even in this foreign condition. Eren tumbled off of his rock, stumbling immediately. It was difficult to move, his limbs sluggish and uncooperative all of a sudden, and Eren let out a loud bleat of alarm. Staying put was not an option, the very thought leaving him dizzy with distress.

He pushed up, half dragging himself along the unfamiliar ground towards the bunching shrubbery that marked the entrance to the cave. More pressure in his gut had Eren yowling, and this time he was answered.

Levi’s responding bark was high and worried but Eren couldn’t think past his need to get to the source of that sound to bothering feeling guilty. He scrambled for the entrance, tumbling through it too quickly and almost crashing down the abrupt drop.

Yowling again, loud and searching, Eren discovered that Levi was a lot closer than he’d thought. The merman’s eyes were frantic and on him, Levi frozen halfway up the slope, and later Eren would smile over how quickly Levi had resolved to take on the hill to come and find him. Then, though, he simply charged on. Tumbled down the rest of the slope to be caught by Levi. Eren was only slightly winded by the impact but he regretted the rushed decision nonetheless, coughing a little  as Levi went through the struggle of backing up and trying to hold onto Eren at the same time. It was tricky and graceless, but they managed to make it into the pond relatively unscathed.

Eren shivered uncontrollably, the water cold to his overheating skin. He couldn’t tell if he enjoyed the sensation or not, but Levi didn’t give him the time or choice to decide. The raven had Eren on his back in the shallows, head and shoulders safely out of the water, and Levi hovered in close to check on him.

The gentle pin got to Eren more than usual, only instead of irritation Eren found that he liked it. The feel of Levi’s heavy tail against him, keeping him from thrashing too much. Just having Levi there above him, particularly in that moment, felt right. It stirred something in the mermaid. Without meaning to, he jerked forward and latched onto Levi’s shoulder with his teeth. A harsher bite than he’d ever initiated before; the coppery taste of blood on his tongue was enough to shock Eren out of his daze for a moment and he reeled back.

There on the pale skin, an outline of teeth. A dark and oozing red.

It wasn’t an overly deep bite. Levi would have surely seen worse, had worse, many times over. But Eren had still lunged for him, had still broken skin and drawn blood.

He wasn’t even sure why he’d done it, or why the sight of it stirred a sense of triumph in his chest even despite his fear.

Levi was still, quiet and considering.

Eren shrank back as much as he could, whining, and wondering how he could possibly atone for attacking his mate. It had happened so quickly, the action out of his control, and Eren feared Levi’s retaliation.

Above him, Levi’s eyes were wide and all but black with how much the pupils had dilated. He was growling, too, although when the noise had begun Eren did not know.

He wanted to flee before Levi could show his anger, but another wave of dizziness washed over him. Eren went lax, resting his head back against the moss-covered floor with a whimper. The warmth came again, unbearable, and Eren writhed. He tried to roll, legs kicking out in frustration when his efforts were rendered useless by Levi’s presence atop him.

Throughout the tantrum his mind reeled from what he’d done.

And Levi’s growl shifted to something lower, softer. He was licking at Eren’s face but backed off of him, allowing the mermaid to move, to roll onto his belly, his lower half submerged.

Levi’s sudden crooning was loud by Eren’s ear, and not at all angry like the mermaid had expected. He panted, feeling Levi settling his weight along his back, his fingers reaching to rub at patches of Eren’s scales that the mermaid only just noticed were stinging. They practically burst with oil at Levi’s touch, and thankfully Levi didn’t seem to mind that it was getting in the water. In fact the raven only increased the volume of his croon, pressing against Eren so that the little mer could feel the vibrations of it. Levi’s throat found Eren’s and he pressed against the little mer, mingling their respective scents.

The cave was thick with the smell of them, the air laden with Eren’s heat scent. Suddenly Eren realised why Levi had insisted on showing off this upper level to his lair – with the access to fresh air, at least they wouldn’t be driven mad by their own pheromones.

Clever, clever merman.

Head turned to the side to pant, Eren’s eyes roved almost blindly. He could see the shadow that was Levi hovering in close to him, felt a sudden stinging sensation at his throat. Levi had bitten him. _Was_ currently biting him.

It occurred to Eren that he should have been concerned by such an action. A bite from Levi should have hurt, should have been agonising, but all Eren felt was a rushing relaxation that chased the initial discomfort away.

He shuddered, limbs trembling terribly.

Eren felt drugged with unknown sensations that he didn’t trust, but he trusted the solid warmth of Levi at his back and the weight of him. Trusted the mouth that licked away blood and oil from his throat only to replace it with more.

Levi herded the shaking mer up and out of the water then, gentle and nudging. Encouraging hands helped where they could, and Eren whined his protests the whole way out of the pond. He felt weak, his limbs trembling, an awful ache between his legs, and wanted nothing more than to lie down and…

And what? Eren sobbed. He didn’t know what he wanted, what he needed.

Eren cast a pleading glance at Levi, collapsing onto the moss beside the pond, and stilled. Just looking at Levi made Eren feel better, the hunger on his face both worrying and comforting at the same time.

He descended on Eren like some sort of mad thing, frantic. Eyes wide, mouth open, nostrils flared to draw in more of Eren’s heat scent. He licked at Eren’s mouth, swallowing pitching whines and half-choked little mewls until the mermaid was struck with the urge to roll again. On his stomach once more and still confused as to why, Eren wailed his confusion and discomfort.

Levi’s hands busied themselves with holding the little mer’s hips, his teeth digging into scales scattered out along one shoulder, and as Eren went slack again he registered something hot and slick dragging against him. Right where the raven’s hips worked against his lower back. Right where the merman’s slit should be. Of course. Eren’s arms and legs behaved perfectly well when he realised Levi was unsheathed, ready for him. With the ache that burned deep inside the little mer, there was only once place that appendage could be meant for. Eren squirmed, legs struggling to spread properly and comfortably with Levi practically flattening him. The weight was strangely welcome, even if it made breathing a little more taxing.

Inconvenient but comforting.

That seemed to be the theme for their first mating.

Lining up was a combined effort, tricky with the both of them so worked up, but they managed. The first breach was startling, foreign to both mers. Eren keened, long and loud, and he wasn’t sure what his wail was meant to have been – he wasn’t in any pain, exactly…but the sudden stretch was new.

And intimate. Eren twisted as much he could, blindly seeking affection, and was rewarded by the wet curl of Levi’s tongue against his cheek. He could barely see in the fading light, only vaguely aware of more little plants beginning to glow as the sunlight left. Levi adjusted behind him, tail shifting and pressing the ground in areas, trying for better purchase. His tongue stretched out of his mouth the way it sometimes did, stealing between Eren’s parted lips, tasting vaguely of blood still. Levi made a startling string of noises the further inside he pushed, a deep groan reverberating in his chest by the time he was in to the hilt.

The merman shifted his hips forward, then pulled back carefully. His first few thrusts were irregular, experimental. Within moments, though, he found a rhythm.

Eren decided that it wasn’t a good feeling, his insides tender and unused to the battering pace Levi set. The mermaid abandoned hope for his own pleasure, however the sounds that Levi made had him assuming that the situation was very different for the merman. Levi’s breathing was harsh, hot puffs of air gusting against the back of Eren’s neck.

The mermaid had nothing to compare it to, but Levi felt enormous inside him. Eren hoped that it wouldn’t always be like this, too much of everything at once.

He reached back with one hand, gripped at Levi’s side, and held on for dear life.

Too sensitive to process much of anything, their first mating went by in a slow, aching sort of haze. There was no distinct pleasure or pain for Eren, only overwhelming sensation that had him yelping and whimpering with every movement Levi made. If nothing else, Eren was grateful for the cushion of moss. It at least provided a little friction for his own leaking length, trapped without any other attention. He couldn’t imagine enduring Levi’s thrusting on bare stone, although the raven was probably kind enough that he wouldn’t make Eren go through something like that. He was grateful that Levi had gotten him there before he’d lost it.

And Levi seemed thoroughly lost.

The raven was caught between two seemingly permanent states of either snarling like a beast or crooning. Either sound was welcome. Eren mewled regardless of what noises Levi made, be they feral or fond. His existence narrowed to a noisy, aching tangle – just Levi and him, for an amount of time he couldn’t accurately tell.

Arms held Eren tightly around the ribs, the pressure comforting. Unrelenting. Levi couldn’t seem to let him go, even for a moment, and Eren didn’t want him to. Without that grounding pressure, Eren was sure he might burst and fade away.

He felt full to bursting as it was.

Eren’s mouth was open, throat constantly pushing out sounds. Every breath seemed to end on a gasp or a startled moan. Their activities were so loud Eren was sure that every creature around for miles would be able to hear them.

The final moments of that first round were the most memorable to Eren, for he found an abrupt climax that surged up on him out of nowhere and left him blind. The moss beneath him was painted with strings of white, a disoriented wail leaving Eren. He flailed, gasping.

And then, relief. A shock of bliss that overrode all other sensation, and Eren couldn’t move.

He blinked in a daze, mewling soft, happy sounds that seemed absurd with the thunder of Levi’s snarling above him. Soon after Levi made the most alarming sound yet and a new heat blossomed within the mermaid, scorching and yet it seemed to sap Eren’s heat from him. Climax, Eren realised, only Levi’s seemed to go on and on.

There was a last, startling stretch from within and Eren almost passed out from the pressure inside, unsure if pain and pleasure and numbness weren’t all one and the same. And then it was over.

No more mindless thrusting. No vicious, snarling voice by his ear. Just warmth and tingling, leftover shivers of bliss, curling toes and the sluggish swishing of Levi’s tail.

Thought returned to Eren slowly, his troubled rim still tensing occasionally in the aftermath of orgasm. He would be sore later, of that Eren was sure. Levi didn’t back off, his tongue busy licking at leftover oil and blood on the mermaid’s neck, his shoulders, and Eren wondered how many times he had been pierced by Levi’s teeth. More than twice. Probably a lot more. Eren knew he would make an alarming sight to any of his pod, even Issy and Armin, but the lack of agony assured him that this was meant to be. Nothing that was bad for him could feel this way. Foggy-minded as he was, Eren still knew that Levi’s bite belonged on his skin, engraved in his flesh.

Despite the sensory overload he still managed to purr. The sound seemed quiet against the noise of Levi’s breathing, still huffing and unsteady. A reassuring buzz against his back informed Eren of Levi’s responding purr, deeper than the mermaid’s.

He rolled and took Eren with him, pulling an agitated yowl from the mermaid with the change in position and the subsequent shift of pressure inside him. Eren, too tired for much else, flicked an ear back to swat at Levi’s face in reprimand. He got a sleepy snuffle in response. Another hot stripe licked up his neck.

Settled on their sides, Eren took deep breaths now that he was free of Levi’s weight. Against his neck fell Levi’s breath, hot and damp. The merman mouthed at him idly, careful of his teeth now, and rumbled out low noises of satisfaction.

For the moment, Eren felt the ache in him had been satisfied. Too tired to worry about food or anything else, the mermaid nestled back against his mate and closed his eyes.

With the steady rumble of Levi purring behind him and the gentle, fond rhythm of the raven’s tongue on his skin, Eren dozed off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First times always suck, even for mermaids. Don't worry, though; Eren's built for this shit. He just needs to adjust.


	24. Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merporn and the obstacle of instinct.
> 
> This chapter has a lot of unspecified time skips, from a day to several weeks. You'll be able to tell which is which, but the scenes are a little choppy to get through all of the detail without bogging you guys down with a 15, 000 word monster.
> 
> P.S. Spot the Mikasa!

Mating was a mess of a time. Eren didn’t care for how sticky it could get, though he didn’t mind it inside so much as outside. His body welcomed each new coat of seed, steadily replacing the urgent, raging heat in Eren with something more pleasant.

Levi cleaned him up. Sometimes it was with water from the pond, carried out in a carefully cupped hand, and sometimes Levi didn’t bother with water at all. His tongue was enough for most things. They didn’t want to dirty the pond, besides. It was Levi’s only source of water up here, and having to travel back down to the sea would only leave both mers agitated. For the moment they knew to remain close.

He understood now more than ever why Levi had insisted on spending his heat in this upper level to his lair. More than having access to fresh air, it was safer up here. There was no rising and falling tide to worry about, and the rock was more than thick enough to protect them from the elements outside. It was further for any particularly curious mermen to climb, too. There weren’t many around, but coves and cliff areas often lured roaming mermen in to look for shelter or potential lairs. On the off chance that one might come into their home, Levi felt better about facing an opponent up here where Eren had access to the outside and the other merman would be tired from the trip up to this level.

They’d had no interruptions, though, and Eren felt wonderfully safe.

That first day had been terribly confusing, a flurry of new experiences and bonding.

Technically most of the action had happened at night, in fits and bursts of sudden consciousness and worry. Eren remembered waking constantly, too many times to count, and fumbling his way through a second, third, and fourth coupling, left tied to Levi every time. The merman just wouldn’t let him go, not with his hands or his knot.

In his defence, Eren was the one that came to him for relief, a service that Levi was eager to perform.

Levi was good to him, careful but not hesitant about the situation. He saw Eren’s confusion and lack of understanding, and filled in the gaps. Turn over, relax, breathe. Levi was there with a comforting rumble, pulling the little mer into place when Eren only had the dazed idea to roll over. Half the time Eren had been too frantic with need to feel sheepish at the guidance, and together they figured things out.

The first night had been an uncomfortable one, mostly due to Eren’s near-constant sensory overload. All the experiences were unknowns to Eren, his flesh newly sensitive thanks to the shock of heat. He wasn’t shy about his discomfort. Levi had more than one imprint of teeth along his arms, a retaliatory response when the brunet had been unreceptive to his roughness. The bites would heal, and Eren kept his mate in line for the most part. The merman couldn’t be blamed for his shaky control where newfound pleasure was concerned and Eren was glad that at least one of them got something gratifying out of those first, more frantic couplings.

The sensation became a little more bearable, a little less intense each time as his body grew used to the process, learned to anticipate it, even to _want_ it. Not all of it was unpleasant. The intimacy of mating was something that Eren enjoyed, even if it was a bit overwhelming in practice. It was never painful. A little too much for the mer to process at times, certainly, but he was never hurt. Just confused, and weary from broken sleep. Irritable but compliant.

Levi was there to comfort him through it, and Eren never once woke up alone.

They had been so exhausted after that first night that they’d lost half of the following day sleeping, and both mers couldn’t have been more grateful for the rest.

Hours of peace passed, lost to sweet and shapeless dreams. They remained nested in the soft moss, tucked close to each other, every breath pulling in comforting scent. In the hours that crept by, the bond between the two snoozing mers grew.

When they did wake, Levi took the first chance to head down through the tunnels and hunt some fish.

Eren stuck close to their nesting site, wishing for more leaves or grass to improve the bedding. Just looking at the slope that led outside made him weary, though, and he didn’t risk the climb in his current state. Settling for rolling about, Eren worked more of his scent into the moss while he waited. His scales still itched, though not as badly as yesterday. Scratching at them helped to release more oil, and the look on Levi’s face when he returned almost an hour and a half later was well worth the discomfort that had built up in Eren during that time.

The merman’s arms almost gave out when he reached the cave, his eyes so dark he could have been a spirit demon, some wraith come to steal Eren’s scales and take them for his own. Levi was on him in moments, food forgotten by the tunnel’s mouth.

They didn’t eat until after the next, frenzied coupling and the subsequent nap that followed.

Levi had brought them fish, and seaweed to use as emergency rations so he could limit his trips to the sea. It was important, until Eren’s heat subsided, that they not remain apart for long. Eren needed to accept Levi and let trust build between them until he could rely wholly on the merman. In times of need or danger, Eren would need to have utter faith in his mate.

And something deep in Levi’s core told him that they would need to trust each other in the months ahead.

Eren winced his way through a few more couplings while his body adjusted to the new activities. He knew in that place all creatures have that holds the knowledge of countless generations of kin, that this was meant to be. No matter how awful this heat could feel, always trying to cramp him up, it was good for them both. A chance for Eren to be utterly defenceless, and for Levi to prove that he could care for the little mer. A chance to prove that Eren’s every need, even this strange one, could be met by the raven.

It wasn’t until that second night that Eren was surprised when Levi sliding into him felt _good_. Not merely bearable, as it had been the last few times. Eren felt this new sensation and decided immediately that he wanted more of it.

They had already worked out a sort of system, Eren recognised his needs as they came and rolled onto his belly so that Levi could mount him. If the merman was distracted with food or soaking his scales, it only took a yowl to summon him over.

Eren had been waiting, panting and watching Levi slink his way over, letting the mermaid feel his weight when he arrived. The first press inside was usually the most unpleasant part of the whole mating process, for Eren at least, but this time the sensation was different. Instead of scraping his nerves raw, Levi’s girth sliding into him made Eren keen in something far from discomfort. The noise was so loud and so sudden that Levi paused, fussing over the smaller male. He sniffed, trying to find out what was wrong.

Nothing at all. Eren smelled sweeter than ever, even shivering as he was. The little mer’s insides squeezed, almost encouraging the merman further. When Eren mewled, the lost tone in his voice was gone, replaced with something pleading. Eren pushed back against the raven and, when Levi took the hint and pressed in fully, the brunet almost collapsed.

Behind him Eren could hear Levi fretting, clicking his concern and worrying that Eren was faint from lack of food. They hadn’t been eating as much, relying on reserves of energy in order to not have to separate.

Eren didn’t know how to convince Levi he was alright. His whining was misinterpreted for distress and Levi, thinking his mate was somehow hurt, backed off of him.

That wouldn’t do at all.

The little mer rolled over, his back sticking to the moss they were slowly destroying with their constant activities. Levi was busy fretting, bringing water from the pond for Eren to drink. He held a cupped hand by Eren’s mouth, not satisfied until the brunet had swallowed it all down. The merman chittered low by Eren’s ear, nose seeking his throat to check for any signs of distress that would tell him if his little mate was hurt.

He detected agitation lacing the mermaid’s heatscent instead and found himself being pawed at by a rather impatient Eren. Barely mindful of his claws, Eren tugged at Levi’s shoulders with a little growl. Levi’s ears flicked forwards to catch the sound, cute really coming from the glassy-eyed mer, and he let himself be guided where Eren wanted him. With the way Eren’s legs were trying to hook around his tail, Levi was surprised to find the mermaid trying to line himself up. He was still wanting, although with a newfound eagerness that hadn’t surfaced before this. Eren bit at Levi’s ear, whimpering there.

They hadn’t faced each other while mating before, but Levi instantly found that he enjoyed it. He had far more access to read Eren’s expressions, able to read pleasure there from the moment he pushed in again. The mermaid’s body was becoming accustomed to mating. The sensations, no longer alarming in their intensity, had Eren shaking as Levi found a rhythm.

Eren seemed quite satisfied with their shift in position, too. He latched onto Levi’s jaw, nipping, biting at the merman’s ear and purring reassurances there. And when Levi found the right angle as he pushed in, or paid attention to the little mer’s length trapped between them, he could just about make Eren melt.

The young mer had found release twice by the time Levi climaxed with a growl, and Eren downright wailed at the final swelling of the merman’s knot inside him. At last the pressure there was fully welcomed, bringing a few, beaded tears of bliss to Eren’s eyes.

Those lazy moments of recovery after climax were even more pleasant with Levi right there, his growls tapering off into a continuous, thrumming purr. It was easier to nuzzle this way, too. No twisting and turning was necessary. Levi was kind enough to roll them over, letting Eren rest atop his chest while they waited for the knot to release. Always a good time for a nap. Eren dozed off, unbothered by the mess of seed he’d left between them. Levi didn’t try to wake him for a spontaneous bath and the mermaid welcomed the fuzzy escape of sleep.

 

Days later, Eren’s heat finally faded. The last few days had passed in a pleasure-filled haze of napping and mating, and a lingering soreness finally began to settle in.

The two mers ate their first decent meal in days, scarfing down fish and seaweed and some small fruits that Eren ventured out of the cave to collect, much to Levi’s horror. The merman had almost had a heart attack when he returned to the cave with Eren’s meal only to find the little mer returning from his own trip outside.

Eren had been under house arrest, tucked safely away in the coils of Levi’s tail, for some hours now.

The merman watched over Eren with a stern gaze, clucking and fussing whenever the little mer tried to squirm away. He fed Eren mushed fish and strips of seaweed in small serves, not wanting to make his mate sick. Just a little at a time, unlike the merman who had raided a nearby reef and gorged himself on the plentiful marine life there to build up his energy reserves.

Eren was bored. He swatted at the hands that reached to check on him, whining to be freed and settling into moody silences when his requests to explore were denied. They were sat by the pond where Levi could easily reach to scoop water for the little mer, and although the care was smothering Eren knew he needed to rest. It didn’t make him any less bored, but he could accept his fate. A little bitterly, though. He gnawed at the thicker part of Levi’s tail, looking for tender scales that might have been scraped away that he might use to his advantage and get himself freed.

No such luck. Levi’s scales were tough and didn’t fall away easily. Their colour had faded, the brilliant blues of his mating peak paling to the muted blue-grey of ocean water, something that would help the merman in camouflaging and hunting. Levi would be doing a great deal more of those sorts of activities, now that Eren’s heat was all but over.

Their life as a mated pair could begin.

Eren risked a glance up at Levi, finding the merman distracted with a clump of seaweed. Eren wriggled out of one coil while Levi wrestled with the tangled strands of ocean flora. The little mer got an arm free. Grey eyes snapped over to him and Eren flinched, twisting where he lay still half trapped and struggling to look innocent. He cooed, blinking big, doe eyes up at the merman.

Levi snuffled at him, suspicious but satisfied that Eren’s legs were still tangled up in his tail and the mermaid wouldn’t be going anywhere without those appendages.

Eren knew that, too. And if he was going to be stuck here, then he wanted something to do. He stretched as best he could, feeling the merman’s tail shift and tighten randomly around his calves, his ankles. Turning back onto his stomach, Eren rested his face on the thickest part of the raven’s tail, right by his slit. It had occurred to the mermaid that, although he’d become intimately familiar with his mate’s cock in the last few days, he still barely knew what it looked like. He’d touched it all of one time, and then had it rather suddenly introduced to his entrance when his heat had struck.

Levi kept himself tucked away when he wasn’t engaging in mating itself, and Eren knew that he may very well get growled at for the kind of exploring he was about to do. He vowed to himself to be careful.

Of all the places to hurt Levi, this would probably be the least forgivable.

Eren proper himself onto his elbows, staring at the barely visible seam of Levi’s genital pouch. The merman’s scent was strong there, a bit dizzying, and almost made Eren want to roll over and see if he couldn’t convince Levi to take him again. With the soreness of post-heat healing, though, Eren figured it wouldn’t be much of an enjoyable experience.

There had been a scarce few times when Eren had even touched this part of his mate, but he remembered those times. A gentle brush of knuckles and a little pressure was enough to make the seam give way, and then Levi’s tail was tightening around him.

The growl had been expected, although Eren did wince a little at the glower Levi sent his way. Still, he wouldn’t back down.

Steeling himself, Eren sank his teeth into a section of Levi’s tail and gave a little grown of his own, willing the merman to release his harsh hold on him. The two mers stared each other down. A few of Levi’s fins flared, an irritated attempt to get Eren to back off. The mermaid didn’t have any fins so he couldn’t retaliate that way, but he did bite down harder. He refused to be cowed. Levi wasn’t going to let him go anywhere until he’d recovered; it was possible that Eren would be stuck in this cave for a few whole days. Eren would be damned if he was forced to remain cooped up here and denied the opportunity to pester his mate.

The end of Levi’s tail was draped over the mermaid’s head suddenly, a shock of cold contact. Eren pulled away, spluttering, and flailed under the living curtain with a protesting chirp until he noticed Levi’s snickering.

Eren huffed, wading his way out from under the heavy drape of Levi’s tail flukes, and pouted up at the merman. Levi looked amused at least, his tail blanketing Eren’s back. He snorted at the sight of Eren’s little pout, turning back to his task of pulling bones from fish and untangling seaweed.

It wasn’t exactly permission. Eren knew he was probably meant to leave the merman alone, take a nap or something similarly dull.

He couldn’t help himself, though, and settled back down over Levi’s hips. He prodded at the places where scales became pallid flesh, feeling the difference in textures with the pads of his fingers. Eren scraped with his claws, careful and light, and listened to the quiet rumbles it earned him. Not at all menacing sounds.

Eren was gentler when he returned to Levi’s seam, keeping his claws well away from the more delicate area. Here he felt the textures with his mouth, brushing his lips along the tender line that housed the merman’s cock. The sound Levi made this time was more of a frustrated huff. He knew better than to try and shake Eren off, knowing that the mermaid would just find his way right back. Curiosity was an overwhelming force for the little mer, and he just had to know more.

The scales there were very smooth, the seam wet with moisture. Eren blinked at it and, without much thought for the consequences, pressed his tongue inside to taste.

Levi downright yelped, the sound pitching and taken aback. His hands were on Eren immediately, to remove him or pull him closer, Eren wasn’t sure. Those hands didn’t do either, though. They remained still and tense, one over his shoulder and the over curled around one of his sides.

Reprimands fell from the merman’s mouth, chastising clicks and a whistle of frustration.

Eren, though, was quite satisfied with himself. Levi was a lot warmer on the inside than he was on the outside. Wetter, too. He tasted nice, although the flavour seemed to seep into Eren’s mouth and the urge to roll over made itself known again. It was a natural response. Eren felt no shame for it, in fact he hoped he healed quickly so he could bother Levi this way again and see what the merman did about it.

The mermaid backed off a little, blinking down at the sight. The seam was a little more parted; glimpses of dark flesh were visible inside. Eren gave an appreciative hum. His. That eager cock that slowly strained to be free was his, as was the merman it belonged to. It was a heady thing to know. That this creature belonged to him, and he to it.

Mouthing idly at the slick cockhead that peeked just past the seam, Eren blinked up towards Levi.

Maybe it hadn’t been such a good idea to stir the merman so soon after his heat.

Levi had so many expressions trying to take over his face it was frankly a little startling. He looked helpless, frustrated at his little minx of a mate, and hungry in a way that wasn’t meant for food.

Eren mewled an apology, the sound slurred around his current mouthful of flesh, just barely throbbing. He abandoned his perch, pulling until his legs were free of Levi’s sly tail, and crawled his way up to lick repentantly at the merman’s mouth. He hadn’t meant to stir the raven so much. As always, his curiosity led him into trouble.

A weary warble, low and forgiving, left Levi’s throat. His frustration was still present, his arousal too, sliding against Eren’s smaller length. It, too, was beginning to crave a little attention, and Eren abandoned any hope of healing in the next day or two.

He fussed about, Levi’s hands wandering over him while the mermaid pressed his backside against the merman’s length. Lining up properly required Levi’s help, and the initial stretch made Eren yelp. He had been right in his assumptions – mating while tender was not so pleasant. Levi seemed relieved, though, and rutting his own length against the raven’s front helped.

Eren hadn’t quite managed to find his own climax by the time that Levi finished. He was grateful, though, that the merman was kind enough not to knot him. That, the mermaid felt, would have been a little more punishment than his aching rim could bear.

The world shifted, Eren tumbled onto his back with a sound of surprise, and found Levi crawling over him. His tired legs were held apart and Eren squealed outright at the feeling of Levi’s tongue curling around his arousal. The brunet had a feeling that Levi rather enjoyed teasing him in this way. Wetting him up, pulling him over the edge of what pleasure he could tolerate. When Eren found his orgasm, tired and twitching, Levi was sure to lick up every drop until the mermaid was forced to push his head away.

Levi captured his legs again, pulling Eren back against him to rest on their sides. Playful (or maybe vengeful) fingers tormented the pinked and softening length, pinching at the pliant flesh and chortling at the way it made the mermaid twitch and jolt. Eren yowled in protest, loud and agitated. Those cries were ignored, but Levi relented at the first shaking whimpers and settled into grooming the little mer instead.

Against his back, Levi started to purr.

It took a moment, but a begrudging purr started in Eren’s chest as well.

He couldn’t stay upset with the raven, and that was perhaps the best thing about their bond. Fond tolerance and relenting patience.

 

Never before had Eren eaten so frequently or so much. It was at Levi’s insistence, always bringing back a little more than was strictly needed and never eating a bite of it himself. Except for the bones, sometimes.

The ocean held all kinds of life, Eren was learning. Most of it he discovered as Levi brought it to him, already dead but still wondering. Eels were an interesting new discovery and Eren wasn’t even sure how he felt about the way they tasted, but their forms were so peculiar. Like snakes, but stranger and water-bound. Their eyes were strange and Eren made Levi eat them.

Energy returned to the mermaid and his heat had all but left, now only a lingering warmth buzzed in Eren’s blood, the barest tingling remaining. He’d been more anxious in those first days after the heat when Levi moved away, even to stay hydrated. Some instinct to stay close had him on edge.

Levi had stared with wide eyes when Eren had followed him right into the pool without a second of hesitation, reaching and clinging until they were settled comfortably by the edge.

A post-heat urge, a need to nest and develop their bond. The worst of it passed over the next few days, and Eren rediscovered his need to explore.

Thankfully Levi didn’t immediately restrain him this time, in fact the merman brought him down to the lower levels and took Eren out into the sea. As daunting as that part was, the little rock pools they arrived at were well worth the icy water.

Eren got to see living ocean creatures here, yipping excitedly at even the smallest, darting fish. He hassled a tiny crab, prodding at it carefully with the end of one claw and watching it scuttle moodily about.

Urchins were discovered. Eren didn’t like those, not after he poked at one and it poked back. He nursed his sore finger on the sand of the beach while Levi relocated the spikey critter to a different pool. Although Eren had a feeling that the merman might have just taken the little, spined offender somewhere out of sight and eaten it.

 

Weeks passed and Eren found himself quite content with mated life. Levi brought him countless bounties from the ocean, all kinds of tasty morsels offered to him day after day, and the mermaid often came tumbling in from the outside with treats of his own to share with his merman. Sweet flowers and strange, new fruits. Honey ants and real honey when he’d managed to find a hive one day, miraculously escaping with only a couple of stings. Eren had endured quite the scolding from a worried Levi while the raven had carefully helped to scrape out the stings.

Eren whined his apologies and didn’t visit the beehive again.

In his new playground outside the upper level of Levi’s lair, Eren found sand and great slabs of rock, even countless dips and grooves that held rainwater. One day hundreds of birds had landed and Eren had spent half the day harassing them until some finally swooped with intent and the mermaid fled back to the cave, whining for Levi.

Bird eggs were another topside treat that Levi found bizarre, and he let Eren eat those whenever the mermaid came scuttling in with some. Cheeky little thief that he was. It was a wonder why birds even bothered trying to nest there anymore.

 

Just once, a strange merman roamed up to the cove.

The two mates were out that day, spending time in the fresh air on a wonderful day. It was properly hot for once and Levi was taking advantage of the heat by sunning up on the sand of the beach while Eren terrorised the rock pools for the millionth time.

There was a whole bunch of tiny crabs for him to bully, but he’d been making it up to the critters by building them a tiny fort out of twigs stuck into the grime of the pool. Little sticks connected the gaps between pieces of jutting stone. One of the crabs had finally ventured out onto the bridge Eren had built for them, snapping miniscule claws as it walked in that funny way crabs did.

It had just been a shadow in the water that had made Eren look up, hoping to finally spot the mysterious _dolphins_ or _whales_ that Levi had told him about.

Instead he found a head bobbing out of the water, a hand rising to grip at the rock of a ledge in front of Eren, a torso emerging. It was not a rushing, aggressive approach, but Eren froze as he identified the creature as a merman. Not Farlan, not even the massive Erwin who, frankly, Eren would have been relieved to see in comparison.

This creature was not familiar to Eren. Its skin was almost white, its eyes the same coal colour as the sopping hair that stuck to its face. The features Eren saw there were soft, not as angled as Levi’s face. Glimpses of scales revealed a flushed and vibrant red, the tail flukes that curled purposefully up from the water an even darker shade, translucent burgundy. Mating peak, Eren realised. This merman wanted to court him.

The strange mer made a single, questioning sound in his direction, curious as it appraised him. It was enough to shake Eren from his fright.

Levi learned a new call that day. An ear-piercing screech that simultaneously stunned the strange merman and pulled Levi to Eren like a physical force. He’d never moved so quickly in his life. Eren hadn’t made a sound as he was swept back behind a protective arm, didn’t whimper at the throaty hiss that Levi sent the newcomer’s way. He had the high ground, a size advantage from the looks of the other merman, and Levi spread his fins out in intimidating display. Behind him, Eren scrambled for safety, clambering back up to the beach like he was being chased.

Eren watched the exchange from a safe distance, half-hidden behind a crumbling boulder.

The posturing was a lot scarier to witness when it wasn’t between friendly mermen, Eren realised. His heart beat wildly, his eyes wide as saucers as he watched the strange mer rock up on their tail in the water in response to the threat. Great, pointed teeth were on display as jaws clicked open, a jarring sight.

When the other mer took a swipe at Levi, he slammed his tail into their side. The stranger heaved, winded and disoriented, and Levi took the opportunity to dive into the water with them.

Eren saw them both go under. He saw the violent thrashing of the water, foam and spray, the occasional arm or tail.

He saw a flicker of red scales departing and a dark shape chasing the fleeing intruder.

Minutes passed. Eren hid behind his boulder, sniffling. Waiting.

When a figure slithered around the side of his boulder, even announced with a searching chirp, Eren almost jumped out of his skin. He flattened himself against the sand, hissing fiercely. Of course it was Levi. Eren knew by the voice that called for him, knew the shape of his mate, but he was badly rattled. The little mer sobbed and all but sprang into Levi’s arms, trembling and nuzzling to replace the smell of the ocean and violence with his scent.

He wished never to see another merman again, except for Levi, and his friends if they behaved themselves.

Levi rumbled low by his ear, buzzing with adrenaline and champion’s urges after seeing off the trespassing stranger. Despite the hot sun, Eren shivered. He let Levi lay them down, the merman mouthing at his throat, biting at his shoulders.

It was different out of their home, but this was still Levi’s territory and Eren’s by default.

The little mer let Levi take him right there on the beach for any passing mermen to see if they were foolish enough to linger. In the aftermath the pair lay in the sand, grooming lazily until sundown.

 

As the weeks continued to pass by, Eren changed. Gradually, but noticeably. He was heavier when Levi tugged him around or carried him through the sea on their little trips about the cove. He smelled a bit different, slept more soundly and for longer periods of time like he was conserving the energy.

The mermaid was hoarding leaves, too. Levi didn’t notice immediately, not until he’d come back from hunting to find a great big pile of them clustered into one corner of the cave, stashed the lower level where Eren had taken to hanging around. The little mer fussed and picked at them, pressing the gathered leaf litter where he wanted it and arranging a fine little nest. Grass and some dried seaweed made it into the mix as well.

Levi didn’t interfere, although he would watch Eren work from time to time.

While Eren was distracted, and he often was with the maintaining of his nest and all, Levi could take longer amounts of time hunting for food. It was beneficial for them both, as Levi didn’t wish to smother Eren with his presence or bore him with the same meals day in and day out. With the added time on his hands, Levi could travel out past the closest reef to other coral beds and clusters of thriving ocean around small islands that floated nearby.

Some days the merman wondered if Eren was eating more than he was. Eren ate like he was starving, venturing out less to play. He climbed more carefully, taking to calmer activities like sunning himself or digging great trenches in beach sand and burying himself there.

When Eren did venture out of the caves to the back of the cliffs, it was usually to find food or fresh water.

Mostly, though, Eren liked to sleep and conserve energy, needing it for other, less obvious tasks. He slept and ate and pestered Levi, outright refused to learn how to swim, and was a generally insufferable little twerp.

But even in his moods and mischief, Eren was adorable. And Levi loved him.

 

It had been several months since Eren’s first heat, and Levi had long since realised what was happening to his mate. Pregnant, carrying their first litter.

Eren was sore and tired often, his belly had become quite round in the recent weeks, and his chest had begun to grow as his body prepared for the arrival of their young. It would be soon. Levi could tell. It was obvious in the way Eren had become more anxious of late, like he was expecting something that never seemed to arrive. The poor mermaid was almost always hungry and he took naps often.

The leafy bedding he’d been organising was finally coming in handy. Nestled at the narrow edge of the saltwater pool on the lower level of Levi’s lair, Eren retired often to sleep. Mostly in between meals.

Levi was reminded frequently through various nips and protesting yowls, that he was far too energetic for the exhausted mermaid lately. The merman couldn’t help his excitement. He’d never sired pups before, had never met any that hadn’t been siblings or other, tiny mer pups out on the reef. Eren tried his best to be patient with his mate, allowing him his daily fawning sessions over Eren’s swollen stomach.

His bouts of playfulness were not appreciated, and Eren bit him more than once to make the mischievous merman back off. Any sort of binding games were a big no no. Eren didn’t like getting caught up in Levi’s tail in this state, too tender in places to be able to worm his way out of Levi’s tricky holds.

Grooming was tolerated, even approved of on good days.

As always, Eren enjoyed being held when they bedded down for the night. Often times he downright demanded Levi’s presence, not satisfied until his merman was curled warm against his back.

That was probably an instinctual need, Levi knew. Eren was quite vulnerable in this state and nowhere near as quick on his feet with the extra weight. Even when he was sore and grumpy, Eren appreciated having Levi near. A kind of security blanket. He wouldn’t hesitate to take a swipe at Levi if the merman acted up, but even in his moods Eren knew he was safe, protected.

 

Eren blamed his new bouts of antsy behaviour on the storm that had blown in.

The dark clouds had been there for days, raining constantly. Even with the foul weather, Eren found himself wanting to go outside. Maybe it was because he’d been stuck inside the caves for weeks now, finding it more and more difficult to make the climb to freedom.

Levi actually had to stop him from attempting to wander out into the storm. The mermen ushered a confused Eren down off the steep slope that was currently running with water that drizzled in from the outside. Eren could only blink, wondering how he’d managed to get this far up. Most days just the walk up the winding passage to get to this level tired him out. He wasn’t used to carrying the weight of who knew how many pups.

Today he’d almost managed to not only get to the top level of the lair, but he’d almost blundered outside and endangered himself and his unborn pups. It was slippery in here, sheltered from the worst of it. Out there it would only have taken one slip and he might have lost them all.

Eren backed up, whining his confusion, and let Levi comfort him for the next few hours while he tried to ignore the crashing thunder overhead.

 

It happened again. Not a day later and Eren was back trying to climb the damned hill. When Levi barred his way, warbling his concern, the little mer only blinked and turned tail. Levi followed him all the way to the lower level, where Eren whined to be taken outside.

The raven took one look at the roiling ocean that sloshed against the cave exit, leading down to that turbulent sea, and refused. He didn’t know what had gotten into Eren, but Levi wouldn’t risk the little mer or their young. His refusal to cooperate brought strange and desperate tears to Eren’s eyes and the little mer sat by the cave exit wailing and pleading until he passed out.

Levi pulled him away from the edge, lest he fall down, and wrapped the thin end of his tail around the mermaid’s legs regardless of whether or not it would put him in a mood. There was a bad feeling lurking in Levi’s gut. All this wandering, the sudden bursts of energy, and the way Eren seemed to be almost mindless following strange urges had Levi unsettled. He curled around his little mate, crooning even though Eren probably couldn’t hear him over the storm. Levi closed his eyes and willed himself to sleep, too. If he had to protect Eren even from himself, he would need to take all the chances to rest that he could.

 

It was Eren who woke the raven later, whining his confusion upon waking and finding himself tangled in his mate’s tail.

Eren’s persistent nosing brought Levi back to consciousness, the hollow noise of wind outside filtering into his awareness. The storm was fading outside, water running into the cave in little streams and trickling down the passage from the upper level of the caves.  Levi shook himself awake, yawning widely, and blinked down at the little mer cradled against him. Eren trilled up at him, head cocked to one side. His eyes were clear and bright, no haze in the vibrant orbs that morning.

Relief flooded Levi and he huffed, glad to have his Eren back, and flicked out his tongue to lick the brunet’s nose fondly. Wearily. It brought a flush to the mermaid’s face and he gave a quiet chirp, confused. He licked Levi back, though, and nestled closer in a wordless request.

Levi, as always, was happy to cuddle him.

 

The day was a peaceful one, more or less. Eren remained on edge, but still Eren. The two mers slept most of the daylight hours away, and finally as afternoon crept on towards evening Levi decided that it was time to hunt for their dinner.

They needed to eat at least one solid meal before the day ended.

He left the cave reluctantly, and only after nuzzling Eren breathless and purposefully transporting Eren and all his old leaves over to an island of rock in the middle of the big, saltwater pool.

No exploring for him, Eren thought. He wasn’t sure what his merman was up to leaving him there, stranded on this rock until Levi returned to help him back across, but he didn’t complain. The raven seemed anxious enough as it was.

And so he watched Levi slink out of the cave, down into the ocean. Eren was left to entertain himself.

Without much to do, Eren fiddled with the bedding of his nest as he waited. He pressed the old leaves down and wished for new ones, but the trip to get more wasn’t worth all the trouble, not to mention he’d be too tired to make it all the way back down again even if he did make it out and find some leaves that weren’t soaked.

Eren resolved to clear out all of the old bedding soon and make a new nest with fresh leaves. Maybe Levi would even be able to help him?

With those happier thoughts floating around in his head, Eren drifted off, content to nap until Levi returned.

 

Levi wasn’t back when Eren woke, and that was probably for the best because the mermaid might have elbowed him in the face with how quickly he jerked upright.

Panic, as clear as the fear that drove animals to flee from fire, shot through Eren fast enough to leave him dizzy with it. Shaking. And then the pain, something he’d been vaguely aware of even in his dreams.

His gut was cramped, but these were no heat pains.

Eren had never felt this agony before, but he knew what it meant. His pups were coming.

And for some reason that terrified him.

He pushed his way onto his hands and knees, breathing hard against a sudden, harsh cramp. A nasty contraction. Eren tried to focus, to breathe deeply. He’d never make it to a pod in time to have his young safely. Even knowing that, some instinct drove him forward and into the water. He could barely reach the bottom, fear taking over him. He couldn’t swim beforehand and was even less equipped to do so now.

A shrill wail left his throat, though the sound was half choked around a mouthful of water as he went under. Fighting his way back up for air had him exhausted but he kept kicking, arms flailing. The mermaid was barely keeping his chin above the water. He needed help or he was going to drown himself and his pups with him.

Help came like a flash of lightning. Even through waterlogged ears he heard the shark bark of panic, the splash of Levi tearing into the pond to get him. Eren should have been relieved.

Instead he kicked at the merman, fought his grip. Too weak, though. Levi towed him back to the island of stone and heaved the mermaid ashore, following him up with an endless string of concerned warbling.

Eren continued to kick, albeit weakly, as he pushed himself along to the leaves. He turned on the approaching merman with a truly feral hiss, baring his own mouthful of teeth in threat as he’d never done in seriousness before. Ears pressed flat back against his head, Eren held himself low. The raven did hesitate, blinking at the display, and then slithered closer anyway. He ignored Eren’s warning growls, even the few attempted bites that could have taken a finger off had the merman not been quick enough to avoid the attacks.

The contractions were coming quicker and as they did, Eren’s efforts to keep Levi away became less and less of a threat. The mermaid gave a last, echoing hiss of rebellion before he collapsed and rolled onto his side with a whimper.

 

Without knowing what was wrong with Eren, there wasn’t a lot that Levi could do to help him. He could smell fear on the mermaid, which explained the shifting looks of blinding panic and feral anger Eren kept sending him.

The little mer was in a lot of pain. Too much for his initial defence tactics to last and the poor brunet slid to the stone with a pitiful sound. Eren made no effort to keep his voice down; he was very vocal about his discomfort. Levi crowded in close to him, disregarding the younger mer’s attempts to bite him, and settled down behind Eren. He curled against him, feeling clawed fingers already reaching back and trying to dig into his side. No doubt trying to take a chunk out of him.

Comfort was all Levi could hope to give his mate. He licked against Eren’s throat before lining up his mouth to bite him there, testing out the different pressure points and hoping that it would help to alleviate the worst of the pain.

He had no idea if it worked, but Eren at least stopped trying to hunt him away.

Several hours Levi was at this task, his jaw beginning to feel the strain. The merman was determined, though, to keep at it…that was until Eren gave a shudder and a loud wail even through the dazing effect of Levi’s bite.

Backing up, Levi took in the shaking mermaid. Eren’s eyes were glazed and helpless, wet with tears, and his mouth was open to help regulate his breathing. Levi curled his tail around the little mer’s form, cocooning him in from the world. He got bitten again for his efforts, the attempt too weak to cause any damage.

And then…there was a pitching squeak.

Levi blinked, surprised, and discovered the source of the noise down between the mermaid’s shaking legs.

A mermaid, tiny, pink, and hairless. Levi looked down at it with wonder, stunned at the knowledge that this squirming bundle of flesh was his. It was wrinkled and oddly cute, not even opening its eyes yet but it called for its mother with those high little squeaks.

And Eren responded. His pain and weariness were nothing in the face of hearing one of his pups and Levi learned that as a foot connected with the side of his head.

He gave a squawk of protest, hissing his irritation as he sloshed down into the water, thrown off balance. By the time Levi resurfaced, glowering and with a throbbing building in the side of his head, Eren had his youngster scooped safely into his arms. The look in Eren’s eyes was foreign to Levi and he felt as though he was faced with a stranger. Those teal pools threatened, making sure Levi knew he was to stay in that water.

Levi bobbed in place, a pleading trill sent Eren’s way. He wasn’t sure what he’d done, but he wanted to meet their first of their litter and begged forgiveness for whatever blunder he’d made.

Eren only hissed at him, ears flicked back to show his displeasure with the merman’s presence.

Agony replaced the warning look on Eren’s face and he sobbed, suffering alone on the island. He kept a constant eye on Levi as the merman swam around the perimeter, waiting for the little mer to come to his senses. Eren, too, seemed to be waiting. He cleaned his first pup while watching Levi swim, tucking the purring little thing close to let it learn to suckle.

An hour and a half later, Levi counted three. Three tiny, little lives cradled against an exhausted Eren’s chest, one sleeping and the other two guzzling their first real meal down greedily. Dutifully cleaned by their mother. All of them mermaids, just like Eren.

Poor Eren. He’d been shaking awfully since the last pup had emerged and he didn’t seem done yet.

Trying to keep his vigil, defend his pups, and endure labour was taking a heavy toll on him. Eren had done quite valiantly and Levi would never underestimate a mermaid’s protective instincts again…but the little mer needed to rest. He was fading fast.

A last aching wail left Eren’s mouth, his eyes squeezing shut as he shuddered. He was struggling for breath, gasping.

The mermaid startled at the splashing that announced Levi’s return to the island, eyes widening in panic. He gave a sluggish kick, whining through clenched teeth. Too weak to do any sort of fighting, Eren settled for holding his pups close and baring his teeth at the approaching merman. The last pup was coming and Eren fought to stay conscious, wailing while Levi crooned to him.

After a long moment, painful on Eren’s end and worrying on Levi’s, a new and tiny voice sounded, chirping in its chilly new world.

Eren lost consciousness before he could meet his newest and final pup.

So Levi cradled the youngster instead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters to go! Don't worry about the fishy lovers; Eren just has a little pre-learned instinct he needs to overcome. I promised you guys a happy ending and this is just a little conflict.
> 
> Sorry if that felt a little different from the usual chapters. I had to fit in an extended period of time and a bunch of different events, which I don't think has really happened that much during this fic. The last two will be a bit of the same, but you'll get all the important stuff :)
> 
> Thanks as always for reading, for your patience, and your support!


	25. Faith

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may come back to edit this a little more, I still have to add in the beta notes so if you see something dumb don't worry, it should be fixed eventually :)

Everything was tender, unpleasant. The soreness of healing hadn’t set in yet, but Eren blamed that on the lack of food. Time had clearly passed when Eren waded back towards consciousness again and found the cave lighter than he’d left it. Morning, it smelled like. Dawn had always brought its unique and refreshing undertones.

The cave was lighter, but _Eren_ was also lighter than he’d been earlier.

Gone was the hindering weight that had kept him isolated to the caves, leaving an odd and unsettling hollow feeling in its wake. Eren had never thought he could miss pregnancy and the cumbersome weight that accompanied it. Well…miss might not have been right. He’d grown accustomed to it, and it had been easier to imagine that his young were tucked away inside. As bothersome as it had been to carry little lives around within him, Eren had at least known that his pups were safe there. Warm and nurtured. But the mermaid had done his job well, carried his young to term and brought them into the world. All by himself, too. There had been no pod to help him, to clean the young or bring him his pups as they came. It had been an ordeal, but worth it.

That was right, he’d actually gone a birthed a litter. After only his first heat, too. It had seemed so unlikely but Eren had done it, he’d held his own little ones in his arms.

Eren looked for them, almost launching into a fresh panic…but there they were. He hadn’t even noticed the weight of them curled up in his arms. They were so small, poor things. Little and wrinkly, without a single strand of hair on them yet. Eren felt a gnawing of concern for them, so tiny and defenceless. Smaller than he would have expected. Then again there had been three of them, it was no wonder the little tykes were so tiny, sharing the growing space. It was a wonder how Eren had even managed to grow so many healthy pups on only his first attempt. No wonder he’d been so hungry all that time, eating for himself and three other mouths, besides.

Three…no, wait. Eren recalled a fourth.

It had been a hazy, painful few moments before he’d lost consciousness. There had definitely been one more youngster, though.

Eren fretted and checked the pile of little, pink lifeforms snoozing against him. One, two, three. Only three.

His fourth was missing.

The mermaid looked up, yapping sharply – a call for his pup. His voice was untested after sleeping and the sound was not as loud as he would have liked. It barely made an echo in the cave. The sound was enough to rouse his resting litter, though. The little ones in his arms stirred, yawning and sleepy and settling almost immediately back against each other. One of them started to purr and it set the others off, and suddenly Eren was holding a bundle of happily buzzing youngsters.

The brunet ducked his head to sniff at them, fussing over the sleepy forms with soft clucks. Their responses were quiet, but the clicks satisfied the mermaid.

No response from his fourth, though. It couldn’t have gone far.

Eren whined, craning his neck to see around for where his youngest might have crawled off to. He couldn’t abandon the others to search properly. Eren’s eyes strained, narrowing on every little gap and dip in the rock. Nothing. There was no sign of a pup on the island or down near the water. And there was a lot of water around, too much for it to be safe for such young lives.

Not to mention…

Eren remembered Levi only a few seconds before he saw the raven circling by in the water, the mermaid’s heart beating quicker in his chest. Levi was a shadow, dark and daunting, making his rounds. Slow and fluid, like a shark stalking its prey. His tail breached the surface with barely a sound as he swam, a rolling dance of bluish scales close to the surface. The sight, so familiar, pulled a new and foreign worry to the forefront of Eren’s mind as he watched the raven swim.

How long had Eren been out? Had Levi..? He couldn’t have done anything to hurt…

But no. No, Levi was keeping his distance. If he’d wanted to do anything vicious, then surely the merman would have done so while Eren was out cold and unable to defend his litter.

Was Levi…guarding them? Had he been doing so all this time?

Eren remembered the shock of panic he’d felt waking up with his labour in progress. The pain had taken him by surprise, an unexpected turn of events that really he should have foreseen. Of all the mermaids that had come to his pod to have their pups, none of them had done so smiling and at peace. Eren felt foolish thinking that it could have been anything other than painful. He should have paid more attention to his body, should have known that his pups were on their way before it was physically happening.

But he hadn’t, too comforted by his mate. Too content in their lifestyle.

After the pain registered, terror had followed. Flight instinct, then fight instinct when Levi had arrived. The merman had been an unexpected anomaly in Eren’s assumptions. A danger.

Everything Eren had ever known about babies was that they were born in a pod, raised there, and that their mothers brought them to a pod for a _reason_. That reason, obviously, was to keep the vulnerable young away from adult mermen…even the mermaids’ mates. Eren had never asked; it just wasn’t done. But he saw that these mermaids risked travelling for miles and miles, _alone_ , to put as much distance between them and the sea as possible. Back then Eren hadn’t even known that the sea existed, nor did he know of the beauty and bounties it held.

Danger also lurked in the sea; the mermaids’ tailed kin still made the ocean their domain. And those creatures and their violence was what drove the mermaids to birth their children away from their homes, the mates.

It was age old behaviour, something that Eren had known about, had witnessed in action, since he had been a young pup himself. Adult mermaids would pass through, wandering and sniffing out their kin. Some were old podmates, others complete strangers. It didn’t matter. Even an unknown mermaid would be welcomed into a pod if they were with child and needed sanctuary. The safety of the pod was never withheld from mers in need. Eren remembered watching his podmates help with birthing, even helping himself as he had grown older. It had been something he had expected for when he was heavy with his own pups – to return home from somewhere far away and be helped through the unpleasantness of birth by his podmates.

The experience had been a little different in reality.

Aided through labour by a merman. None of his elders would ever believe it, that a supposedly violent beast would do anything so kind. And it had been kind. Even Levi’s biting, something that had made Eren terrified while it had happened, had been an act of kindness. Another of the merman’s knowing tricks. Relaxing Eren, removing stress from his body to ease the birthing process. Alleviating at least some of the pain.

Even in his fear, Eren had been glad for the closeness. He had expected many mermaids to help him through his first labour, and instead received the attention of just one merman. Neither of them had been particularly well equipped to deal with the situation.

Levi had _tried_ , though, and that had bewildered Eren even as it had been happening.

A merman assisting a birth? Ridiculous.

Such a thing would never have been tolerated in a pod. Mermen were supposed to be ravenous, ferocious beasts that would sooner eat a pup than look at it. Eren was beginning to wonder about that, though.

Levi hadn’t eaten any of his pups yet. In fact the raven seemed awfully good at taking Eren’s assumptions and handing them back to him bent out of shape. Replaced with surprising new notions that maybe…maybe all the horror stories about mermen were false?

Did mermen eat babies? No, as far as Eren had seen they ate fish and other meats (or plants sometimes if Eren badgered enough).

Were mermen aggressive? Yes. All of the time, no matter the circumstances? Absolutely not. Eren had more than one example of that, too.

Besides, during Eren’s most vulnerable moments Levi had done nothing but tend to him. Even during his labour. Out of the two of them, Eren had become the more violent one during those worrying moments. The mermaid had taken more than one swipe, attempting to rip into the raven with his teeth even. Most alarming. It was a good thing he’d been too worn out to do any real damage, and better still that Levi had been forgiving of his insolent actions.

There had been no way to know that behaviour would occur.

Without having had a litter before, Eren had no idea that his instinct would drive him to flee from Levi like that. They had been happy, safe. Up to the point where panic took over, Eren had been the happiest he’d ever been in his new life. Safe and cared for, with a mate that loved him and kept him warm each night, the both of them expecting their little ones any day.

And then chaos, most of it his own fault. Levi must have been so confused. Watching his mate behaving so strangely, hostile out of nowhere, couldn’t have been easy.

Eren didn’t know how he’d ever make it up to his merman.

Speaking of which, Levi still hadn’t surfaced. Maybe he was angry? He’d changed pace, darting about in the water in bursts of speed and twirling manoeuvres. The water stirred, churned by his tail.

It would be wrong to leave him hurting, not understanding why Eren had behaved so differently.

Eren swallowed, hesitated, and then gave a trilling call.

This time the sound carried much better, ringing in the space of the cave like music.

The effect was instantaneous. Levi came to a lurching stop beneath the surface, twisting up and poking his head out of the water with a splash. Those bizarre double eyelids of his blinked, removing water from his vision, and grey orbs zeroed in on the waiting mermaid. Up on the rocks, right where he’d left him. Levi’s eyes slitted, watching for any indication of Eren’s mood, looking for any lingering signs of hostility. Not that he could be blamed for being wary after the recent turn of events. The raven’s finned ears flicked forward, twitching. Waiting for a sound, a coo or a hiss to let him know to back off or come closer.

Eren, however, made no sound at all. In fact he found that he couldn’t call to the merman again, emotion thick in his throat.

From the water, Levi blinked at him.

His confusion was clear; Eren had called to him and he had come, so what was keeping the mermaid from making a move, a sound, anything?

For a long, tense moment the pair did nothing but stare each other down. Levi’s ears kept twitching, probably detecting the faint purring of the pups Eren was guarding.

Eren opened his mouth, went to call his merman, but closed his mouth again, troubled. His instincts were at war. Eren wanted Levi closer, needed that comfort, but he also felt the protective urge to hunt this creature away from his nest. No, he couldn’t do it; Eren couldn’t call Levi over but he couldn’t send him away. He wanted to, had apologies to make and a merman’s pride to mend, not to mention their bond. It was something that Eren could still feel - a yearning pull inside him that demanded he reunite with his mate.

And then he saw it. A smaller shadow appeared in the water, rising up from somewhere below, and any hopes Eren had of attempting to reconcile were dashed.

He’d found his fourth pup. A tiny merman, already adapted well to being out of the womb. The pup had learned to use its gills already, and hopefully its lungs too.

Eren gave another, shrill call, watching the little shape in the water swivel in his direction. It could hear him. A final call had the shape heading his way and Eren glared Levi down with all the threat he could muster until he heard the little splash of his pup exiting the water. Not safe, yet, but safer. Eren’s heart beat wildly, mind racing. This situation was not a good one. There was no way that he could defend himself and his pups from a fully grown merman.

Especially not this merman, the most capable one he’d met. His champion.

Levi was death wrapped in sinew and scale, tendons and talons. The merman was a lithe and lethal killing machine that answered to one other creature on this earth.

A shiver of want rolled through the mermaid, betraying him.

Grey eyes tracked the movement, too keen, too knowing. Never assuming, though.

Little, cold hands touched Eren’s side and he blinked away from his staring contest with the raven, down to the little, tailed creature squeaking up at him. The merman was as small as the rest of his littermates, with the advantage of a tail to give him a bit more length than they did. Still tiny, with no teeth or claws yet and barely any colour to his scales, the pup was harmless. Its eyes were open, unlike the tiny mermaids, and the colourless orbs blinked owlishly up at Eren’s face.

It gave another squeak and shivered, trying valiantly to climb up and join the litter. It was safe to put him with the rest of the tiny mers, even Eren knew that.

The brunet reached over and scooped up his youngster, placing it amongst the other dozing pups. That was it. He had them all. Even a merman pup knew to trust its mother and Eren huffed out a relieved breath.

His young were safe, and no one would be taking them from Eren without a fight.

There was a problem, though. Eren could feel it, worry building in him. He was already weary from the birth, his body only just attempting to busy itself with the task of healing. It would take days, maybe even weeks, to recover at a good rate…and Eren hadn’t eaten that day. He would need regular meals in order to heal _and_ be able to feed his pups. That was the tricky part. The mermaid couldn’t abandon the litter to find food but…he also didn’t know if he could ask Levi. He felt the tug of their bond, the built up trust. Of course he could ask. But things had been so confusing over the last half a day. Eren had no knowledge of how to proceed under the circumstances. Birthing pups in merman-controlled territory? If it had ever happened before, no one in Eren’s pod had ever heard about it. Mermen were vicious. They couldn’t be family creatures.

Then again…if no one had ever heard about it happening, maybe their kin simply hadn’t been given the chance?

It hurt Eren to even think that way about Levi. He’d been nothing but kind, protective, and generous.

But Eren couldn’t shake off the wariness. Stupid, gnawing worry.

Levi seemed to sense that he wasn’t wanted. He slipped back below the surface and continued his rounds, a slow and constant presence.

 

He’d fallen asleep. Again.

There was food waiting on the rocks near him when Eren opened his eyes. He immediately noticed the fish that lay there like an offering, the meal already torn into convenient, boneless pieces for him.

Fondness spread a blushing warmth over Eren’s face, in his chest, and he curled his toes. He wished Levi was right there, that he could have a moment to show his gratitude without the mess of thoughts getting in the way.

Then there was a squeak from the water’s edge. Eren knew from the splashes that he’d failed. There was movement in his arms, three pups rearranging themselves when he checked. One pup missing.

Down in the water, the splashing sounded again.

A tiny form sped through the water; the little mermen already proficient at swimming. Eren was almost jealous of the tiny pup’s skill. Only one night old and this little twerp was a better swimmer than its mother would ever be. Eren couldn’t be upset with his son for returning to the pool. Only half a day old, the pup would need to hydrate constantly. Back in the pod, mermen pups remained in the home pond for days before they attempted to come out and play with their siblings. They had to practice using their lungs, but relied mainly on their gills for the first few days. It had been wrong of Eren to call the little pup out of the water earlier, but he’d been so worried.

There wouldn’t be any damage; even merman pups had to leave the water to be fed. No meat for any of the little twerps until they had their teeth, or until one of his parents could provide some suitably chewed meal.

Alongside the little shadow there was a larger one and Eren just about had a heart attack. The pup looked so tiny next to Levi, the bigger merman twisting in close, and for a heart-stopping moment Eren wondered if he was about to witness his youngest pup become a snack.

Logic came like a slap to the face and Eren realised with a start that…Levi was playing with the pup.

A merman, fully grown and capable of tearing their own kind to shreds…was playing with his pup.

They ducked and weaved around each other in the water, Levi always close by. He swam ahead, creating currents for his son to play in and use to rest his tail. Swimming would be tiring for the newborn until he grew used to it, training the muscles daily until it was second nature. And Levi, the big brute, was teaching him. Eren watched the interaction warily, closely, and he was dumbstruck. Looking away was not an option, as everything he’d been taught since puphood was rewritten in front of his waking eyes. With nothing better to do, Eren pulled the offering of food close and ate as he watched, allowing himself to be mesmerised.

Levi was also keeping a close eye on things, monitoring his offspring’s progress through the water. He let tiny hands grab at his fins, tugging without apology, learning. The pup grabbed onto the end of his father’s tail and held on, letting the big merman do all of the work pulling them both through the pool while Levi watched from upside down.

Eren blinked as he ate, stunned at the sight. Just the thought of pods and leaving had made it hard to even remember that Levi was responsible for half of the genes in these pups. They wouldn’t have been _born_ without him finding Eren, mating him, taking care of him all that time. And Eren had been ready to disregard all of that care, the effort and kindness that Levi had shown him. All because some formed instinct had told him to run.

He was beginning to realise that even instinct could be wrong, sometimes. That paranoid elders could be wrong, too.

And it made Eren ache with the sudden distance he felt, really felt like a hollow space in his chest, separating him from Levi.

Eren hadn’t realised that he’d whimpered until he caught sight of Levi treading water in his periphery. No more game with his son, but focus now. His dark eyes were wide, assessing the mermaid as if looking for some injury or ailment. But Eren was fine. Worried though, for his pups and for himself. He couldn’t care for the litter on his own, couldn’t even swim them to safety if he’d tried. Eren couldn’t do this without Levi, and he found that he didn’t want to. If it meant leaving him, abandoning all they had worked for, he didn’t want it. Eren could live without a pod, but not his mate. And not their little ones.

He trilled without thinking, and that was probably for the best because thinking had only gotten him and his mate hurt. A call, plain and simple, echoed between them.

Levi didn’t even hesitate, although he was sure to be slow. The raven came carefully closer, never touching the rock of the little island. Testing the limits of Eren’s patience, what the mermaid would tolerate from him.

The raven looked as hurt as Eren felt, clearly shaken by the last twelve hours or so. A million different thoughts must have occurred to the poor merman while Eren was out cold, sleeping soundly through the night while Levi no doubt fretted away. A low croon stirred in the merman’s throat, quiet so as not to wake the sleeping pups. There was so much yearning in the sound that Eren was rendered helpless; he couldn’t deny the obvious request to come nearer.

It was written in Levi’s eyes, the need to be closer and reaffirm their bond, and perhaps even to be permitted to see their little family. So much hope glowed in Levi’s gaze that it made Eren’s chest feel tight.

With a tilt of his head, Eren invited the merman over.

He watched the cautious approach, eyes tracking every movement. It was hard to do, but Eren bit his tongue to hold back the urge to hiss as Levi drifted closer. Eren counted the ripples in the water to distract himself. Levi would never hurt him, so there was no way that the product of their bond, of their mating, could be in any sort of danger from him. The raven wouldn’t be so wary if he wanted to cause harm. The elders were _wrong_ about mermen, or at least they weren’t right about all mermen. Eren had found possibly the strongest, kindest beast in the world to take as his mate. Even through the fear that tried to rise in him, Eren made himself have faith.

Levi reached the rock, clawed hands leaving the water. The raven moved slowly, not quite as much as he would have stalking prey but not much quicker than that either. Grey eyes were locked on Eren, waiting for the mermaid to spook. It didn’t happen.

The signs were as good as they were going to get without more time, so Levi pulled himself a little way up the rock, leaving distance between them. His hands gripped the stone, ready to push away should Eren demand space. When no immediate hostility was sent his way, Levi stretched up onto his arms, entirely conscious of the possibility that Eren could lash out at him again, and risked a look at their pups.

The tiny mermaids were sleeping still, nestled close together and tucked safely in the cradle of Eren’s arms. Little and soft and so fragile. Their breaths came faster than it did for the bigger mers, calmed a little with sleep. They readjusted without waking, squirming for a moment, and resumed their purring. The happy little tykes were bonding with their mother.

It didn’t happen often, Eren realised. Many mothers would have already left the pod they’d given birth in and would be on their way home. Eren couldn’t even imagine letting go of his young for a second, not even to let his mate hold them, and suddenly the age old instinct seemed baffling. He understood the merits, the advantages of having many, many mermaids around to care for the pups and teach them behaviours, social skills, respect and the like. But it must get lonely…for those mermaids who did leave their youngsters.

Eren blinked stinging eyes over at Levi and was caught off guard by the look of wonder in the merman’s eyes.

A surprised coo left Levi’s mouth and the raven almost reached over to touch the youngsters before he remembered himself. Grey eyes flickered over to Eren’s guiltily, an apologetic sound leaving the merman’s throat.

Eren’s ears were flattened back against his head but he’d kept the other urges to snarl and snap at Levi under control.

So far, so good.

Levi risked the danger of possibly getting an ear or maybe part of his nose bitten off and leaned closer, dragging himself further up the rock. Eren let him come, let the merman sidle right up to him and lean over to look at the little, pink forms of their offspring snoozing happily amidst their mother’s warm hold. Too small to even regulate their own body heat yet. They really were defenceless. The merman pup had it the easiest, already able to change his body temperature. Mermaids this small would need to remain close and warm for at least a few days or they could easily become sick. The thought alone had Eren gathering them closer, nestled against the warmth of his belly and sheltered by his arm to keep the pups from rolling away.

It was hard not to growl at the merman being so close. What was a comfort to Eren was also a potential threat to his pups. Levi was only trying to sniff them, curious like a pup himself. Eren combatted the urge to take a swipe at the raven by leaning over, careful not to jostle his young, and pressing his nose to Levi’s head. He took a breath, inhaling the smell of salt and damp and merman. _His_ merman, always his. Loyal to a fault.

Teal eyes closed, a mix of hurt and longing tightening Eren’s chest. He felt Levi lean against the touch, their heads bumping together. It was the closest they’d been since the birth. Eren sighed, resigned to the strangeness of their situation, and licked at Levi’s temple once, twice. He hoped the merman knew that he was forgiven.

Even if it was Eren who felt like he needed forgiveness.

Silly. The moment Levi glanced up at him it was clear that he would forgive the little mer a hundred times over, even if he hadn’t known what was going on. Even Eren hadn’t known.

But he knew now. Eren understood his urges and, with a little persistence, he hoped to work around the problem.

Levi licked him back, watching the mermaid wrinkle his nose in surprise. They looked down in unison, gazing at the stirring bundles of life in Eren’s lap. Quiet, whining yawns sounded, little chitters and chirps of awareness as the pups woke. Levi did reach this time and Eren couldn’t stop the warning growl that bubbled up out of his throat. He flicked an ear against the merman’s head, a gentler reprimand than most of the others beforehand.

There was less wariness in the raven now, even as he backed off to give Eren the space he clearly needed. The both of them knew that Eren couldn’t safely transport his litter to a pod now that they were born and the only option was to raise them here. It would be tricky – a whole pod was usually responsible for raising youngsters.

Together, Eren figured they would have to make it work.

 

Raising pups was equally a simple task and the most difficult one that Eren had ever had.

On the one hand, his pups never moved further away than his stomach, crawling and making his torso their playground. That suited the mermaid just fine, as healing soreness was well and truly settling in and he didn’t want to move anywhere.

On the other hand, Eren still had four mouths to feed and his pups needed frequent sustenance.

This was the moment where Eren realised how stupid it would have been to try and raise his pups alone. Levi had already brought him more than he normally ate in a whole day, fish and great handfuls of seaweed and even some big, wobbly jellyfish that had their stingers expertly removed. The blobs were clear and looked awful, but Eren found he quite enjoyed the way they tasted and the strange texture in his mouth, unlike most foods.

It was a great relief to the merman, for there was an enormous group of the floating jellies not too far out to sea. He had an almost endless supply of them, and if it meant more food for Eren then he would catch hundreds of the nasty things. The stinging tendrils were removed easily enough; it just took care and patience.

The first day passed in a pattern of hunting and spending time with Eren while he ate, stretched out near to the mermaid so that Eren could grow used to his presence around the pups.

Levi watched the brunet eat, still so hungry even after his pups were born. Still tired and tender, Eren winced when he tried to move. He stiffened when Levi slithered closer, still tense and fighting his natural wariness. Eren almost barked at Levi to halt, but when the merman licked soothingly at the scales on the younger mer’s neck Eren seemed to decide the raven’s presence could be tolerated after all. He continued to eat, grateful when Levi helped, tearing bones from fish, chewing some mouthfuls for the weary mer so all Eren had to do was swallow.

And the little mers took turns suckling, waking every so often to squirm and huddle closer or to feed. Even the little merman would come out of the pool in search of milk, squeaking at his mother until Eren fetched him. Once Eren had been nodding off and the little pup made the climb up Eren’s side all by himself, half-exhausting himself in the process. Levi was proud, if amused, by the tiny creature’s determination. The little merman would feed, dozing briefly with his siblings or nuzzling Eren before returning to the water. His lungs were still learning, and it tired him out to leave the pool for long periods of time.

While the baby mermaids slept, Levi made sure that his son wasn’t lonely in the water. They swam together, the little mer treating Levi’s larger form like a playground, darting around the obstacle course of fins and arms and a twisting tail.

It went like that for a week. Eren tried to unlearn his wariness of Levi around the litter, going out of his way to make his gratefulness known. A nuzzle whenever Levi brought him food, or a fond lick whenever the merman was in range.

The pups were still tiny, but bigger already. Their eyes finally opened, big and all greyish-blue, not yet filled with colour. Eren was sure he was just a big, warm shape to his litter at the moment. They identified him as mother by scent alone, clicking up at him whenever they woke up to make sure he was still there. Cute little things, they were. Fast growers, too, like all mers were. In another week’s time Eren was sure that the mermaids would no longer have to rely on him for warmth. They would be able to start exploring.

Then Eren would really have his work cut out for him.

For the moment, though, life was simple. Eat, sleep, and provide nourishment for his little ones. And try not to hiss at Levi.

All four pups were still on a diet of milk alone. It was tiring, but Eren managed. His pups ate frequent but small meals for now; it was all that their little stomachs could handle, but they digested it quickly. In a matter of weeks they would be able to start eating mashed up food along with the milk, and from there Eren’s body could finally start calm down and his crazy hormones would begin to fade.

After about six weeks, maybe seven or eight for these pups since they’d been born so small, they would be weaned off milk for good.

The little merman climbed freely in and out of the pool now, taking longer naps with Eren and the litter. In this way they made up for lost bonding time and Eren was sure to let the little pup know that he was loved. Frequent baths and purring were common.

Sometimes Levi would rest there too, curled around his dozing family.

 

It finally happened. The little mermaid pups were wandering when Eren woke one morning, bleating his worry in a slurred voice. Little chittering responses came from down by the pool, the tiny mers answering to their mother’s call.

Their little hands and feet skittered over the stone and before he was even properly awake Eren was being clambered over by eager pups. He sniffed them, satisfied that they were all okay, and settled down onto his side with a wide yawn. They smelled of water and their brother, obviously beginning to venture down to the edge of the pool to meet and play. As they grew, their world opened up to them. Adventure was around every corner, under every leaf.

It was good to know that they could entertain themselves even here.

For a few moments Eren lay there, listening to the purring pups that climbed over him. They forgot his worry almost instantly, yapping at each other in tiny voices and scuttling around playing chase. Eren felt one youngster settle into the crook of his arm and it laid there purring while the others rushed off. Eren watched them go, smiling at their still-clumsy movements.

The brunet was glad for the larger litter now, pleased that his little ones at least had playmates. It would have been lonelier for just one or two youngsters.

Minutes passed, the pup by Eren fast asleep and the others slapping tiny hands against the surface of the water to try and bait their brother to come out. He did, spraying a mouthful of water at the other two, and they took off with excited squeals. Eren watched the little pups run over to him, taking cover behind his legs and trying to shake off the droplets.

The water to one side of the island stirred and Levi heaved himself up onto the rock, leaving his tail in the pool and settling down.

There was the scampering of excited feet and Eren kept a wary eye on the scene as all three of his pups went dashing over to inspect the newcomer. The pups were small but fearless, bounding over to the big merman sprawled on the rocks. Levi shook water off, sending a shower of cold drops. Some landed like rain on Eren and he was reminded of their courting when the raven would flick lake water at him, showing off.

Now Levi delighted their pups, the little youngsters squealing and chirping at the impromptu rain.

The merman blinked down at them, looking entirely unsure of how to proceed. He didn’t get a chance to prepare himself before there were pups chasing each other around him, climbing up and over him without a care in the world. A new playground had arrived.

Eren snickered under his breath. It was a rare thing to see Levi caught unawares. The raven’s eyes were so wide but he recovered, curiosity lighting his eyes in place of surprise. Around him the pups rolled about, totally lost in their play. Occasionally one would stop to sniff at him, intrigued at the difference in his scent – not mother, but still someone important. They didn’t spook when Levi sniffed them in turn, getting his hair pulled and an ear poked at for his troubles. It was funny to watch, the merman indifferent to most of the unforgiving exploration. The pups were curious, intrigued by Levi’s gills and cooler skin, marvelling at his tail when it came sliding up out of the water.

That absolutely delighted the pups. They crawled under the slippery flukes at the end of Levi’s tail, hiding there and wrestling only to squeak in surprise when the tail covering them lifted up and away. It became a jumping game, the youngster trying to spring up and catch a hold of the merman’s tail.

Levi certainly seemed to find it amusing, watching them leap and grapple with the slippery scales.

Then one little mer padded over to him, sitting down to stare at his hand like it was the most fascinating thing in the whole world. It reached out and wrapped tiny, pink fingers around one of Levi’s larger, clawed ones and tugged, inspecting.

Levi stared down, baffled. He took the opportunity to lean down and sniff at the pup, intrigued at this tiny, pink creature that held onto his finger with such determination.

Just as suddenly the pup trots off again, apparently satisfied, and Levi watched the youngster go with an expression even Eren didn’t recognise. Somewhere in the mix there was happiness, though. That, Eren could understand. He felt a swell of fondness for the raven-haired mer, so gentle around their pups and uncaring of their poking and prodding. Their little claws were coming through, allowing them to easily find purchase on new things.

All the small mermaids gathered by the pool, splashing water at their brother showing off his newfound skill of leaping out of the water.

And all the while both parents watched over the litter, eyes fond as their little ones played.

The sound of scale over stone brought Eren’s eyes back to Levi, watching the merman pause in his approach. Levi cocked his head and waited, watching.

It was easy to encourage Levi over without the pups right there, and Eren was relieved in a way. The concern of Levi was a poor parental instinct, nothing more. Eren still loved Levi, still felt that ever present yearning to be close to him when he looked at the merman. When Levi slinked the rest of the way over, settling beside Eren, the mermaid scooted closer to him without thought. The scent hit him, familiar enough to make his chest ache, and Eren shut his eyes against the sudden stinging. A miserable sound bubbled up and out of his throat, quiet and stifled.

And then Levi had him, arms coming around his middle to pull the little mer against him, and Eren let it happen. He grabbed at Levi’s shoulders and held on as if for dear life. Levi was crooning already, an immediate response to Eren’s distress, his whole body thrumming with the sound – barely even a sound, but Eren could feel it in the vibrations against his skin.

Eren buried his face in the crook of Levi’s neck and whimpered there. Finally close again. The unease that had been plaguing Eren melted away and his existence narrowed down to the feeling of Levi against him. Nothing more. And it felt as it ought to have felt, like perfection. Like coming home, because Levi was his home now. Not his pod or his old life. The revelation had Eren sobbing and he stifled the sounds as best he could, not wanting to upset his pups should they notice the two reconciling adults.

Levi’s hold on him tightened, carefully in case the mermaid was still tender anywhere but Eren had healed well. All of the extra food Levi had been bringing him had certainly helped.

The side of Eren’s neck felt wet abruptly, slippery with oil as Levi marked him up to let the brunet know he was wanted. Levi was still his, and vice versa. It was good to be reminded, though, of how much Levi cared for him. The merman held him so tightly and Eren didn’t have a single complaint, welcoming the embrace.

He refused to be the reason their bond was strained, instinct be damned.

Even if they had to lie there all day and all night without sleep, relearning each other, it would be worth it to know that by morning they would be whole again.

Something wet climbed its way over Eren’s legs, then, followed by three more somethings. Little hands and feet made a sluggish path over Eren, tiny claws prickling a little, digging in when the pups slipped or lost balance. Eren didn’t mind, shifting to look at the little mers. All four of the pups stumbled into view, three tiny mermaids and the merman bringing up the rear. They filed in like it was completely normal for their mother to be entwined with a merman, like it had been that way from day one. The pups didn’t mind Levi’s present or find it out of place in the nest and they crawled along, yawning and sleepy. One by one they all wormed their way down into the warmth between Eren’s chest and Levi’s until a little pile of purring pups buzzed between the two, older mers.

The little twerps dozed off right away, safe and protected between their parents.

This could be normal, Eren realised as he looked down at the youngsters, sleeping so peacefully. Levi had never been a threat in their eyes and he wasn’t one now.

That settled it.

If the little ones demanded it, Eren would get over this wariness of his mate around them. There was a stirring of it even now, but with Levi holding him and licking along his jaw, it was difficult to pay the worry much attention. Eren guessed that was how it would need to be, constant affection and reminders of their bond until Eren could stop his ridiculous behaviour. Then again…constant affection didn’t sound all that bad.

And Levi was more than happy to supply that affection.

Eren closed his eyes and focused on Levi’s strong hold on him, the thrumming of his purring, and the warmth of their young between them.

It was enough to start the brunet purring, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry again for any mistakes; I was tired the whole week writing these updates but 14 hours straight of writing and editing every day can do that to you :p
> 
> So close to the end now, only one more chapter to go!


	26. Harmony

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the fish boys lived fluffily ever after...

The first show of trust had been leaving Levi on baby-sitting duty while Eren ventured off. Towing Eren over from the island was an interesting task, the first step. Separating a mother from its pups didn’t seem like a good idea, even to the merman. Eren was eager enough to cling onto the raven as they crossed, knowing well enough not to squirm or let go. He had to look back at his pups on the way over, though, and was caught between gnawing on Levi’s ear to keep the merman in line and cooing reassurances back at the whining little mers back on the island.

Eren paced back and forth, quick and fretting, as soon as Levi set him down. There were only a few metres between the brunet and his litter, but he couldn’t reach them on his own from here.

A sharp glance at Levi had the merman retreating back to the island to fetch the youngsters. Obedient for now, Eren found that Levi was very willing to do his mate’s bidding. All three pups clambered onto their father’s back, chirping their excitement all the way over while their brother dove around them.

Eren lingered, wanting to go in search of more leaves and nesting materials but also wanting to supervise his pups.

They reached the shore unharmed, eagerly huddling around Eren as soon as they could scramble up the rocks. A brief and happy reunion was spent. Eren glanced at the water, finding grey eyes watching him, and the mermaid gave a low warble of thanks.

Levi hummed back, something musical and content.

Their little family was in Eren’s territory now, safe on land without a perimeter of water. The tiny mermaids could begin learning, and they had a whole new world to introduce themselves to. Already the pups were stretching up, looking around at the new shapes of their world. More rock than before, and bits of glowing plant life. All of it different.

Eren sat back and watched his litter begin their adventure.

When the youngsters instantly became enamoured with the new and larger playground of the ledge that lined all sides of the lower level, Eren figured it would be safe enough to leave them to their games.

It was a hard decision, but Eren had to gather enough materials to make a warm place for their family to sleep when nightfall came. He had the time, and Levi would be watching.

Eren made sure to catch Levi’s gaze again, fixing the merman with a particularly stern stare.

_Take care of our pups, fish._

Bubbles rose up from under the water and Levi looked suitably badgered. There would be no mischief from the raven today, at least not until Eren got back. To emphasise his good behaviour, Levi hauled himself out of the pool and stretched out on the ledge, settling in to keep an eye on the pups.

He glanced over at Eren, raising an eyebrow.

_Good enough?_

Eren smiled, just a little curve to his mouth. The brunet scuttled off into the tunnel, embarking on his quest for leaves.

 

Leaves were gathered and a new nest was built.

With a warm and secure home, Eren began to settle. He had a safe place to gather his pups at night, a new bed of leaf litter and dried grass for them to curl up on. It was near to the water, so Levi could sidle up behind Eren and sleep there, draping his great tail over the ledge to keep hydrated.

As the nights passed, Eren found himself feeling more and more grateful of Levi’s presence in his nest.

 

The next order of business, at least where Levi was concerned, was swimming.

One of the major problems Eren had faced since they had met was water. The poor little mer just didn’t know how to swim. His whole life Eren had grown up around shallow water, or rivers that could be crossed at strategic points. The ocean was different, dangerous, and Levi refused to let it take his mate from him. Eren and the ocean were Levi’s two loves, and now their family too. The water was a part of Levi and went hand in hand with being mated to him.

Levi wasn’t taking no for an answer; Eren was going to learn how to swim whether he liked it or not.

Eren immediately decided that no, he did not like swimming. He sank all too easily and coughing up water was a horrible way to pass the time. Even with Levi’s encouragement, the task was tricky.

The raven coaxed Eren on. Just a little more practice. Eren’s first, flailing attempts weren’t too far off the mark. A little more control was needed, certainly, but Levi was confident that he could teach even a creature lacking a tail and fins to swim.

Floating came more easily to the mermaid than coordinated swimming did. Over the days spent in practice, the pups began to join in. The little mermaids came splashing down to see what was going on, visiting their brother in the pool and watching the adults interacting. Their mother flailed and Levi couldn’t help but snort at how funny Eren looked, bedraggled and moody. Clinging sourly to the raven, smacking him with a flick of an ear when the merman’s chortles got a little too out of hand. Levi had taken to towing Eren out into the middle of the pool, between the ledge and the island. There the merman would tread water, and it was Eren’s job from there to let go and try to tread water on his own.

It was different with legs than it was with a tail and the movement tired Eren out quickly. He was quick to grasp at Levi again, holding on and shaking a little while he caught his breath. Eren quickly learned that Levi would not be as kind to him for trying to slack off. The mermaid whined to be taken back to the shore, pleading with his doe eyes and licking at Levi’s mouth. The doleful display only made Levi snort. Those pouting tricks wouldn’t work this time, not for something so important.

If Eren wanted to get to shore, he would have to make it there himself.

When the mermaid realised this, he threw a tantrum. After learning that throwing a fit wouldn’t get him anywhere, he actually tried pushing out on his own.

The first few tries were frightening, frustrating too when Levi would only help him to stay afloat, coming to the rescue when Eren was honestly struggling. But the raven was stern. Eren would be the one to make it to the shore, not Levi. There would be no assistance from the merman in that area.

The first time Eren made it back, soaking and gasping, he turned a filthy glower on the raven.

Levi swallowed the praising warbles he had been going to release. He blinked, watching his bedraggled mate stalk off to go and dry off in a corner by himself. It was clear that Eren had had enough for one day.

The youngsters copied what they saw and clearly some innate knowledge in them was missing in Eren for the little twerps already had the hang of it.

From the gloom of his corner, Eren sulked.

The mermaid didn’t brighten up much when Levi dragged himself over to join him. Levi curled around Eren anyway, ignoring the little growls that were sent his way, like Eren thought he might be made to try again. Not today, though. For the moment, Levi was content with letting Eren rest.

Levi wouldn’t let him quit, though. If the pups could do it, so could Eren.

The merman watched his little ones paddling, venturing further out every time. They were monitored, as always, by their brother who behaved as protectively as any parent at the first signs of exhaustion or distress, towing his siblings back to solid ground so they could rest. Levi made Eren watch their pups, too, taking in what they did, the kicking and sweeping motions of their limbs, arms and legs working together to push them through the water.

While the pups moved their games up onto the rocks, learning to wrestle and scuffle with their brother who was getting more and more used to life out of the water, Eren practiced.

It became like a game. A kind of challenge for Eren to overcome. He learned to paddle, slowly. With each attempt, he found better ways to move his arms, his legs, until he could get a proper rhythm going and start to propel himself forwards. Levi was always right there, a little out of reach to encourage the brunet to swim to him. Sometimes teasing, just a little to get that competitive flare to light up in Eren’s eyes. It made him try harder, wanting to prove himself. The merman was there, always ready with encouragement and praise when Eren managed to reach him, rewarding even the smallest of triumphs.

And this felt like triumph. It proved to Levi that harmony could exist between their kin. Mermaids could still enjoy the water and its wonders, and life would be so much better for Eren if he could feel at home in the water as well as on land. He could spend time with Levi. They could swim together without it being a worrying or draining experience for the mermaid. Levi could take him out to the reefs, bring Eren through the shallower waters that teemed with life and colour, things that Eren had never seen before. They could share this home, Levi’s territory, wholly. And that was how it should be, Levi felt. He didn’t like having to leave Eren, knowing that the mermaid was restricted to the land in his absence. Once Eren could swim, a whole new world would be opened up to him.

 

The weeks flew by in a flurry of swimming practice, games with the little ones, and the interesting experience of weaning. Almost two months had gone by and in that time the pups grew quickly.

All of the little ones had their teeth, their claws, and their scales had the first flecks of colour showing through. Flecks of blues and greens, and a marvellous mixture of the two. The pups were bigger, growing so fast. Having been born so small, it had taken eight weeks for them to approach the size that most pups would have been in about six weeks.

Lessons became increasingly important. Biting was an issue that Eren was sure to deal with, especially with their son who was naturally stronger than his siblings. There was one incident that separated the youngsters for a while, when the little merman accidentally bit one of the mers a little too hard while they were all playing. It happened often when they wrestled, the little mermaids even nipping and gnawing on their brother’s tougher scales. It was normal, even. Eren knew it had been an accident from the moment the first yelp sounded. The brunet had looked up to find his son’s eyes wide and alarmed, one of the mermaids taking off. The mer pup had gone squealing for its mother, tears licked away and the superficial injury inspected.

It was only a few, tiny teeth marks but it left the little merman contrite for days. The mermaids were over it, forgotten and forgiven a half hour later and back to playing, but Eren noticed that his son was very mindful of his sharper teeth and more pronounced claws around the other pups.

The little merman made it up to his siblings by towing them through the pool, kind as he had always been with swimming skills. He was the best in the water out of all the pups, unsurprisingly, but never flaunted it over them.

Eren was proud and he made sure to take the little merman aside and make sure he knew he wasn’t in trouble.

Some bonding time and a bath later, and it was as if nothing had even happened for the pups.

But Eren dwelt on it some more. He worried a little, thinking of tradition.

Their son would grow faster than the mermaids and he would soon be too strong to safely play with them. The merman was bigger than his siblings already, although not by much yet. They were delicate, still – their skin soft and their claws untried but for on the rock of the cave.

Eren made up his mind and went to fetch Levi from the pool. The pups were old enough to start venturing out and learning about their world.

Their diet changed, trading milk for little, soft plants that Eren took them out of the cave to forage for, and jellyfish that Levi and their merman son brought back from hunts. Both parents took up the challenge. It was time to teach their pups how to live. Levi took their son out into the sea more and more often, showing him the reefs and islands, teaching him how to hunt, camouflage, and even hide from predators. All the things that Levi had learned himself as a pup, he showed to the little merman. Tricks like burying himself in the sand to mask his scent, flicking his tail for bursts of speed, or churning sand clouds in the water to create enough cover to distract and flee from predators.

There weren’t that many around, not with the number of mermen that had taken up residence in the area. Three mermen so close together was all but unheard of, but it had its advantages.

Smaller, harmless sharks still resided in the reef. They were playmates for the little merman pup. He moved between games with them and lessons from his father, learning to be the best fisherman he could be.

While the mermen were out, Eren took the other pups up and out of the caves to see their world. It was so different from what they had been used to. Out there, glowing plants didn’t exist. Instead, greenery thrived. Sand and stones and dirt made up this place, full of foliage and scuttling life. The pups learned how to use their claws to dig up roots, checking the soil for moisture and pulling up worms. They were shown how to find insects beneath tree bark, and even use their claws to help find good purchase when climbing. Trees were a challenge, an obstacle to be overcome. The little mers couldn’t make it all the way up the high trunks but they tired themselves out trying. It made Eren’s job easier, watching the pups and their eagerness to see what was waiting up in the branches. He taught them which foods were safe, making sure they knew the look and smell of things that weren’t meant to be eaten. Eren helped his pups track down fresh water, and showed them the rushing river that had led Eren all the way here from his first home, far away. The pups chased butterflies, then birds, making Eren proud when they actually brought their first catch back to show him.

The whole family travelled out to the beach one day, all of the mermaids braving the ocean on their own. It was a sunny day, the water calm around them and warmer than usual. The mermaids’ progress was monitored the whole way by a watchful Levi and his son, the both of them keeping an eye on the others.

It was worth the trip, all of them making it to the sandy refuge of the beach in one piece.

Eren collapsed onto the damp sand for a well-deserved rest, wondering where his pups got all the energy. They were already splashing about in the shallows, digging holes in the sand and squealing when they found little shelled creatures to terrorise. Eren watched from his side as the mermaids climbed their way up to the rock pools, followed by their brother who was already so good at pulling himself up, his arms heaving and tail learning to push and twist to find purchase.

They were learning quickly.

And growing quickly.

Eren bit his lip, worrying over the sight of them. The pups were busy playing, oblivious of their mother’s concern. It had been somewhere around eleven weeks since the birth. That was almost twice as long as the usual time for a merman pup to remain with its siblings. His son was twice the size of the other pups, curled around them while they hassled a resident of the rock pools.

There were plenty of good things about that, Eren figured. The mermaids would be much more understanding of other mermen when they eventually met some as adults. It was inevitable that they would meet adult mers, one day. With any luck, the added time spent with their brother would allow the mermaids to be more welcoming to their tailed kin. Misunderstandings could be avoided. Anger, and the potential violence than followed, could also be avoided. In the same way, Eren was sure that his son wouldn’t be startled the first time he saw a mermaid that wasn’t one of his siblings, since he’d already had plenty of time and experience around them. Surely, then, that meant his son would also be less violent? Maybe he’d even be entirely peaceful upon meeting a strange mermaid?

That boded well for him, and for the progress of their species. Someday this merman would make a fine mate, Eren knew it.

But perhaps it was time. Time for all of them.

The cove was a safe and peaceful haven. It had plentiful resources, but not for a whole unit of mers staying there permanently.

As much as the thought saddened him, Eren knew what had to be done. It was for the good of his pups, who needed to meet others of their kind and learn from them. They wouldn’t be victim to the same bias that Eren had been, already having formed their own opinions about mermen from experiences with their father and brother. But the mermaids needed a pod, and all of the company and knowledge that came with one.

And his son needed to make his way into the world, learn his own lessons, and maybe visit them someday with a mate of his own.

A questioning cluck brought Eren out of his thoughts and he found his vision full of dark hair. Levi was crowded close to him, sniffing, looking for the source of the sadness he could no doubt sense in the mermaid.

Eren licked the merman’s temple and sighed. He was fine…just preparing for a life without the constant business of family. When Levi leaned back to look at him, they seemed to be having similar thoughts. Both mers glanced at the rock pools and they exhaled in unison. They both knew the journey that was coming and it would be a good experience for all the pups. Their son would come along, to learn the differences of travelling inland and finding food there, to prepare him for his own journey someday.

And to allow him to farewell his siblings, who might never see him again.

But that wasn’t for Eren or Levi to know. Eren refused to dictate the life of his pups and he knew he would be too protective of them to ever let some strange merman try to court them. If he let them go, he could at least be sure that he wouldn’t get in the way of a potential mate, a worthy bond. It was something that all his pups deserved.

And Earth Mother knew Eren hadn’t let any elders get in the way of his own bond.

Levi licked his ear, soothing, and Eren curled his arms around the merman to provide his own comfort. It was decided. Tomorrow they would venture out and look for Eren’s pod.

 

Chilly dawn air greeted the little family of mers as they exited their cave, having woken early to make the most of the day’s light hours. Travelling at night was reckless. They would be moving at a good pace during the day and stopping to hunt in the evenings. And so it would be until they reached their destination.

The trip to the lake was not a short one, and Eren’s pod was not guaranteed to even be there when they arrived.

After a big breakfast to ensure everyone would have ample energy for travelling, they left. Eren took the pups up and out of the cave, taking them down the back slopes while Levi and their son followed the sea to the mouth of the river.

At the sandy banks they met up, the pups on the shore scuttling over to share their squeaking excitement with their brother in the water.

Even in the low light, everything seemed to amaze the youngsters. The pups didn’t question the spontaneous adventure, too excited at the idea of exploring to think of looking back for a last glance at the home they had known. Levi led the way through the water, twisting to check on his family every so often after scouting ahead. It was early enough that most threats, like cold-blooded crocodiles or snakes, were still too sluggish to be of much threat. They would be slow at this time of day without the chance to sun themselves yet. The idea of hunting wouldn’t be very attractive. This boded well for the little unit of mers and they passed along the more open areas along the riverside without trouble.

Everything caught the attention of the pups, from startled fish to new plants they hadn’t yet seen. Up on the shore, the mermaids were busy diving into every bush and shrub that came along. They scared moths from their hiding places and chased them as far as they could before Eren’s stern whistling would summon them back.

It brought back memories for the brunet. Not all that long ago, he had been the energetic little upstart racing off at the first sign of adventure and giving poor Levi a hard time. How the raven had put up with him, Eren didn’t know.

He understood how exciting this trip was for his little ones, though. There were still things like spotting birds or rabbits that made Eren want to rush off in pursuit. He hadn’t changed that much. Distractions had accumulated for him, though, that kept him more alert than usual. Instead of running off to explore himself, he watched his pups do so and worried about them as Levi would have on their trip from the lake to the sea. In the water, Levi was having a similar time of keeping their son in line, trying to scout for danger and keep an eye on the excitable little merman.

Well…little didn’t really apply to their son anymore. He was nowhere near his father’s size, but he dwarfed the other pups at a metre and a half in length. So big, after just under three months. It wasn’t uncommon, but most mermen his size were already in the sea living off of reefs and being nowhere near mermaids or adult mermen for that matter. And here their son was still being chastised by his father for sneaking over to the banks and sending a shower of river water at his unsuspecting littermates.

Cheeky little twerp.

Eren knew that they would miss each other, watching the way they reacted then. All mock hissing and yowling, even as they threw leaves back in retaliation.

They ran, they played, and they listened to their parents. Adventure, it turned out, was more exciting the farther from home you got.

 

It took three and a half days to find the pod, keeping a pace that wouldn’t exhaust the pups. In that time, Eren taught the mermaids how to use their numbers to their advantage if they felt threatened and how to stretch up onto their legs to check ahead for danger. Levi showed their son how to swim upside down and navigate, how to guard the mermaids at night by curling around them like a living barrier.

Anything that wanted to get at the mermaids had to get through the mermen first. That, Levi revealed, was what being a decent merman was all about. When it came right down to it, they were protectors. Defenders of those of their kin that were naturally weaker. And it had always been that way. Mermen were built for fighting, but they didn’t fight for the sake of it. Their battles, the ones worth fighting for, almost always involved the kin that they loved.

There was no shame in not being as strong or as fast, which was something that Eren made sure to tell to the mermaids. They had the advantage of numbers, and of a strong bond. A group of mermaids could be just as intimidating as a merman with all their weapons brought to the fight – teeth, claws and all.

They found the pod closer to the lake than they had been before. Where the river spilled into the lake, next to a mess of rocky ground and the beginnings of cave systems; that was where the pod had made its new home. They were splashing about in the pools of water that gathered in the stone, pups playing in a deeper pond that had been dug out next to the river like a small billabong.

Through the trees, the little family was spotted coming. At first the sounds were welcoming, but then Levi was spotted.

Up ahead the pups were summoned to hide behind adults, some mermaids taking to the trees while the others prepared to face the threat.

Eren winced, wishing there could have been some way to explain. He called to the mermaids, greeting them. They knew he was kin, these mers had raised him, and they wouldn’t turn him away now. Wary or not, they wouldn’t turn his pups away either.

Levi hung back with their son, letting Eren and the little mermaids go on ahead. The merman watched the distance between them grow, scowling. He could cross that space in seconds if he needed to…but it still made him edgy.

Eren approached the pod, pausing a few metres away from the closest elder with his pups gathered behind him, and greeted them again. The brunet ducked his head in a small bow, hoping for forgiveness. He had brought a merman here, after all. That wasn’t exactly the most peaceful of actions. This was his mate, though, and his family…and Eren wouldn’t send any of them away for the sake of the pod.

A few clicks sounded, an elder greeting him back.

Eren looked up, smiling, and called his pups out. They crept out from behind him, suspicious of all the new faces but curious enough to go over when encouraged by Eren. He followed, careful to show his respect, and was pleased to be welcomed rather warmly when he reached the other mers.

The pups took off, diving into the home pond with excitement, and soon all the other hiding pups came out. Little mermen appeared from where they had been camouflaging, submerged in the pond. Tiny noses sniffed at the new pups and in moments Eren’s litter had a plethora of new playmates. Pups of different ages and sizes, all of them totally accepting. All the mermen in the lake, only about three, were tiny still.

There was a splash and a screech of alarm, and Eren turned in time to see his son go slithering past him. He watched with a raised brow as the merman made straight for the pond, splashing into it to see what all the fuss was about.

An adult went to stop him but hesitated, at a loss.

Naturally there hadn’t been a merman pup of that size around before. It had to be a daunting sight to watch the creature move so fast, casually slipping into their pond and swimming up to tackle his siblings. They were clearly having fun without him and that was unacceptable. Surprised squeals rang out from the youngsters, watching the siblings burst into sudden play.

Eren glanced over his shoulder at Levi, his brow raising higher as he took in the sheepish raven.

_You couldn’t have stopped him?_

The merman almost winced, but not quite.

_I tried._

Eren snorted at him and turned to see what would happen.

The other pups didn’t seem to know what to make of the newcomer zooming about in their pond, but they trotted over to inspect it without hesitation. They just about gave some of the elders heart attacks in doing so, paying no mind to the warning clicks of the adult mermaids.

Pups, it seemed, didn’t listen to anyone. Except their parents.

Maybe that was why Eren had been such a little shit growing up? He never listened because the mermaids trying to scold some sense into him hadn’t been the one he would have instantly paid attention to. His mother.

Eren watched with a hopeful heart as his son noticed the little crowd of mer pups that had come over to inspect him, not at all daunted by the sudden attention. He blinked at them, taking the sudden company in stride. He flicked water at the waiting audience and when they all let out delighted squeals the tension in the air faded. The merman was practically clambered over by the smaller pups, some of them only weeks old. Their weight didn’t bother him. He was used to the combined weight of all three of his siblings wrestling with him, trying to pin him and failing most of the time. These tiny creatures were like feathers. Barely-there presences that he took extreme care around, aware of how delicate small mermaids were. He even sniffed at the more curious ones, finding their scents different from that of his siblings. They were all individual, yet all carried the familiar scent of kin. He seemed satisfied with the youngsters and not particularly bothered by the stern expressions of the adult mers that looked on, waiting for something to go wrong.

Between the merman in the pond playing with the younger pups and Levi lounging by the riverside, the presence of the mermen had the elders on edge. It was clear to Eren that they had no idea how to act, so they sat back. Still as stones. Just watching. Some of them glared at Eren, accusing, and he blinked back at them like he had no idea why them seemed so peeved.

A peaceful merman was an impossibility to most of them, so used to bad experiences or stories of bad experiences with their ocean-bound kin.

Now the elders, all the adults there, were watching a three month old merman playing with pups it barely knew and letting a tiny merman pup gnaw on his tail, teething.

Eren thought it was adorable.

His son was making a good impression on the mermaids gathered around him and maybe, just maybe, the merman would return here one day to find a mate. It was just a feeling that Eren got, watching how well his son got on with even the older mermaid pups. Some of them were almost the merman’s size. They had to have been eight months old, maybe more, and they were completely enamoured with the newcomer.

Eren allowed the lingering, not wanting to cut the siblings’ last moments together short. So he let them play with all the new mers. Watched their games. Lapsed into memories.

It was peaceful, listening to the happy squeals of play. The sounds sent Eren back to his younger years and all the times he’d spent with Armin and Isabel, and all the other pups.

He’d never had the opportunity to see an adult merman in person though. Not like these pups got to. They stared at Levi, the big merman mostly submerged in the river busy enjoying the current. He watched the pod and the pups, curious at the flurry of interaction. Always there was some kind of movement going on and Levi tracked each new motion with sharp eyes. He was peaceful, even when looking at some of the adult mers earned a few, wary hisses in his direction.

Eren stayed close by Levi, letting the other mermaids see that he was nothing dangerous. Not to them.

Levi couldn’t have cared less about bristling mermaids. He only had the patience for a few, and those were Eren, Eren’s friends (barely), and their cluster of pups. Other mermaids did not interest him in the slightest.

At least not the usual kind of mer.

The first real sign of any sort of hostility from Levi happened when an adult mermaid came wandering into the pod, back from exploring or foraging. Grey eyes zeroed in on the movement. Like any motion before, his gaze was drawn to it. But then those grey pools widened and Levi snarled, startling mers left, right, and centre. Even Eren jumped a little, and the brunet went to hush Levi before he realised…

…he recognised the new mermaid, too. Eren huddled closer to Levi, eyes narrowing as the strange yet familiar scent reached him.

He bared his teeth, nostrils flaring.

It was the land mer that had freed him. Well…it had freed them all.

The creature had abandoned its odd coverings from before, blending in with the pod other than the fact that it walked upright without difficulty. It still had something on its face, little squares over its eyes that Eren remembered.

He sifted through the details. This creature was living with his pod, and none of the mermaids seemed at all put off by the presence of the land mer. They remembered its kindness. The act of good faith.

So…this thing was kin, too. A foster mer.

Perhaps the land mer’s own kin had abandoned it? That would explain why Eren’s pod had seen fit to take the creature in.

Behind him, Levi was growling. He hadn’t been there to witness this land mer helping Eren, or the pod. Levi didn’t know how much he really owed this creature. Eren turned, surprised to see Levi halfway up the bank already like he was preparing to put the fear of Poseidon into the land mer who stood there as if it had expected something of this kind.

Levi looked surprised when Eren crawled into his path, coaxing the merman back. He was setting a bad example. The vicious growling cut off, grey eyes focused over Eren’s shoulder.

A whine left the brunet’s throat, quiet and pleading.

The raven looked angry enough that for a moment Eren wasn’t sure that Levi was going to listen to him. Sharp teeth were bared, the merman silent and furious. But he backed up at last. Back into the river. Levi waited there, glaring daggers over Eren’s shoulder while the brunet instructed the merman to wait.

Strange as it was, Eren wanted to make things right between this creature and himself. He didn’t understand it, but the land mer seemed to have adopted their way of life. In fact the pod didn’t seem to have a single problem with its presence in their midst. They were more worried about Levi than they were about a whole other species right there by their pups. By _Eren’s_ pups. It was obvious that this land mer would be staying and if that was the case then Eren had to make peace with it. _Her_ , Eren realised, as he approached. The land mer was female, had the same outer anatomy as most of the mermaids Eren knew, and that relieved him somehow. There were so many similarities between their kinds that cohabitation seemed more and more likely.

It would be okay. Eren assured himself of that. His pod had made their peace, and now he had to do the same. It was only right, after all this creature had done for him.

After all, he might never have made it back to Levi if not for her aid.

There were some good land mers, at least.

Eren yapped, the sound piercing, to summon the female’s attention. Her eyes were on him, friendly although they were strangers. Happiness seemed to hug her like a tangible aura, and she seemed the most content of all the mers present. Even Levi and his death glare couldn’t put a dampener on this mer’s spirits.

Eren hoped that she would be a good influence on his youngsters.

The land mer dropped down as he got closer, kneeling and waiting for him. She seemed to know that he was still a little mistrusting. There were signs, obvious effort to be respectful as he came to a stop in front of her and clicked. Just a greeting, a peaceful hello.

When she looked up, there were tears in her eyes but no scent or trace of distress. He frowned, cocked his head in confusion, and the land mer lurched at him to wrap her arms around his shoulders and squeeze.

From the river, a warning snarl bubbled up out of Levi’s throat.

Eren blinked, caught off guard by the embrace. The suddenness startled him, but the action itself didn’t seem to be a hostile one. Eren sniffed at her while strange and incomprehensible noises sounded by his ear, that odd and meaningless babble of these land bound creatures. It was strange to hear. Almost lonely. For a moment, Eren felt like he knew what this odd creature was trying to tell him.

_Congratulations._

With one last squeeze, Eren was released and given space.

The land mer smiled at him, returned the nod of respect that he gave to her, and then it was time. Eren was done with his business here, having delivered his pups and made peace with the surprise guest.

He trilled, calling Levi and his son to attention.

The raven warbled for their pups and by the banks of the river their little family made their farewells. Eren looked on with a smile as the pups swarmed their father, nuzzling and yipping their goodbyes before they turned on Eren and sent him tumbling sideways when they pounced. Levi’s chortle of amusement seemed quiet against all the little chirps and squeaks in Eren’s ears and he purred through the warm farewell licks and cuddles.

Eren had feared that it would be a sad moment, but looking at his excitable pups made the brunet feel warmed through with happiness. He knew that this was the right decision. It would have the better outcome for his pups, who now had many other pups to befriend and play with and learn from.

They would be safe here.

And their son, who had dutifully returned to the river, would no doubt come and visit this place again. He’d made new friends there and Eren had a feeling that no amount of warning would keep the young merman away.

His siblings would be happy about that, although the elders probably wouldn’t.

Something about that fact made Eren want to smirk, but that might have been because he’d loved to give the elders a hard time. Not even Eren’s worst days as a pup could be as worrying for the elders as a return visit from his son.

Leaving was harder than the goodbyes, mostly because their son kept trilling farewells back at their siblings and the other little pups who ventured over wondering where their new friend was going.

It only confirmed Eren’s gut feeling. The merman would definitely be returning this way.

He flicked his unsuspecting son between the eyes, interrupting the latest attempt at long-distance showing off. There was a yelp and big saucer eyes blinked over at him, all innocence. Eren snorted at the cheeky merman and pushed his shoulder to get the younger mer moving.

Finally, after almost half an hour of stalling on his son’s part, they got moving.

 

Eren wasn’t oblivious to the dejected way his pup climbed out of the river when they were stopping for the night. The little merman slithered up the banks with a huff, shaking off water. He made a beeline for Eren, curling around his mother and burying his face against the brunet’s chest, sniffling. Eren sent Levi a pleading look and the raven went to find them food without a sound or protest.

By the time Levi returned his mers were huddled up in a pile of purr therapy.

They ate together in silence, Eren purring determinedly against his son to cheer up the disheartened pup. Levi curled his tail around the three of them in silence.

When the three curled up for sleep a while later, Eren wasn’t surprised when their son wedged himself between his parents. They made sure to hold on especially tight.

 

Eren could see the mess of thoughts that raced through his pup’s head on the trip back, and before they’d even arrived it was clear that the little merman had figured it out. He, too, would be leaving. Probably not that far, to the safety of the reefs where there would be food and shelter, and probably other pups soon from the age some had been back at the pod. At least two had to have been approaching the six week mark. Their teeth would be coming in more and more, claws too, and soon the mermaids would deposit them into the river to make their way to the ocean alone.

Or…maybe, Eren thought, his son would go and collect them? There was certainly some sort of determination in his murky eyes – the same greyish-green that all Eren’s pups had ended up with.

He hoped that some change could come about, for the sake of all the pups back there. They were friends, all of them, and when Eren stopped to think about it…it was sad that they should be separated. Sometimes it was necessary, but not always.

The problem was that mermaids were so paranoid of mermen that half the time they couldn’t tell when one was trying to hurt them or trying to say hello.

Eren thought about that all through the goodbyes, trying not to sniffle when it was his son’s turn to wear a brave face. The merman nuzzled him farewell and returned to the river, flicking water Eren’s way with a yap. He waved his tail and followed Levi out to sea, leaving Eren to wander up the cliffs to find the cave entrance there.

He brought in leaves while he waited, arranging a nest and lying in it until Levi returned and found him grieving.

The mermaid was curled up on his leaves, sniffling and dealing with the loss of the odd little life they’d built. It was better to get the sadness out of the way in one go. That way Eren could be happy for his youngsters and hopeful for their futures.

This sadness would pass, and he was prepared to let the parting grief run its course.

Levi’s presence in the nest was welcomed. Eren rolled over and held onto the merman like he didn’t intend to let go ever again. Little claws dug into Levi’s skin just a little. The purchase was comforting for the both of them. The mermaid wasn’t sure if he’d be able to croon, but he leaned up and licked at Levi’s throat instead. He wasn’t the only one who was upset, and he also wasn’t a pup himself anymore. Comfort wasn’t something he could just accept, he had to give it too. For the most part Levi seemed surprised at the gesture but he didn’t refuse the mermaid’s grooming.

He held onto Eren a little tighter.

It was strange to think of all the ways that the two of them might not have even gotten to this point. Eren might have listened to his elders and not gone out to the lake that first day. He might not have gone back after finding Levi there. Erwin might have been the merman to win the fight for first courting rights and then where would they have been? That strange, unnatural merman might have kill Eren, or drowned him when they’d tumbled into the lake. The friendly land mer might not have saved the pod. A freak crocodile attack could have fatally wounded one of them on the trip out to Levi’s territory.

A hundred different chances had passed, somehow happening in the right order.

And here they were.

Eren might never have had the chance to have pups, but they’d made it. They’d both made a family, even gotten to raise their young together under unlikely circumstances. And Eren would do it again. He didn’t know when their next litter might come along, or his next heat. He didn’t even know if he’d be able to push back the instinctual wariness of having a merman, a predator, around his pups the next time around.

It was something he was looking forward to, though. They had experience now and expectations.

Things would be alright, even this sadness would pass eventually. After everything, even the pain of goodbyes, Eren was grateful that he had been able to raise his pups with his mate – an experience that not many mers got to have.

Those happier thoughts soothed the mermaid, his scent losing its sorrow and comforting Levi with its more contented sweetness. The pair were settled, letting themselves grow sleepy after the long few days of travel. Home at last, it was time for rest and dreams of family.

Eren had just about drifted off when a distant cry echoed at the edges of his awareness. The sound was hollow, a broken noise of anguish. Eren frowned, blinking his eyes open to find Levi staring at him with similar confusion written across his face.

The sound came again, some distressed beast howling into the dimming evening.

Recognition flickered in Levi’s eyes and the grey orbs widened as he clicked a name. _Farlan_.

Both mers were up in an instant, rushing through the passage down to the exit that led to the ocean. They splashed into the chilly water, Levi pulling Eren into a safe hold so that they could swim faster and reach their distressed friend. All Eren could think of was that something had happened to Isabel. She might be hurt. Lost. In pain.

They spotted the panicking blonde.

Farlan was swimming back and forth along the sand of the beach, howling at the sky as if in agony. His nostrils flared, taking in deep breaths like it was crucial. The pale blue eyes were wild, frantic. Something was definitely wrong. Farlan smelled of panic, sharp and strong in his scent. Levi was wary enough of his friend’s state to push Eren up onto the relative safety of the rock pools before he approached the blonde merman. He clicked a question, giving Farlan some distance.

Recognition; Farlan wasn’t so far gone that he didn’t acknowledge his friend. Rather he turned to Levi with urgency, more than willing to accept help.

The blonde clicked a string of sounds. Eren picked out Isabel’s name and Farlan’s devastated click of _gone_.

Isabel was gone. Just recently, too, for Eren could smell thick traces of her on the merman. Or…was that coming from the beach? The brunet padded up further, finding a trail of scent and following it a little ways. It was heading up the hill, towards…oh.

Towards the river.

It clicked together. Isabel’s sudden disappearance, the strength of her scent and Farlan’s extreme distress.

Eren knew what was happening.

He turned, trotting back down the beach and into the shallows where he sat, clicking sternly for Farlan’s attention. The blonde looked at him, eyes still manic, but when Eren yapped to summon him over Farlan came. Confusion swam in his eyes. Up close Eren could smell the fear in the merman, the blame he must have been laying on himself.

That wouldn’t do at all.

Eren clicked Issy’s name and a question, one hand placed over his stomach. He had to know if he was right. The strength of Issy’s scent and its richer-than-normal sweetness were practically evidence enough, but Eren wanted confirmation in case he was about to send the merman on a fool’s quest. Farlan blinked at the image, understanding flashing in his eyes, and he nodded fervently.

_Yes, pregnant._

His Issy was pregnant. It had to be the first time, for Farlan’s distress was brand new. This hadn’t happened to them before. That must have meant that her heat had kicked in a lot later than Eren’s, or that Isabel and Farlan’s first attempt at pups had failed. She was full of pups now, though, and probably going to give birth in a few days.

Eren thought of his flight instincts, of the panic and fear that even Isabel would be going through.

He explained as best he could, and Farlan listened with rapt attention. Eren told him how Isabel was out there now, alone and afraid, a slave to instincts that were driving her towards the first safety she had ever known. Her pod. She had to follow the pull to get her litter to safety. But it was a long and dangerous journey that Isabel was about to face. For a lone mermaid the trip would be bad enough, but Issy had the added disadvantage of being weighed down by her litter. The little redhead had never been more vulnerable. She would need Farlan with her…whether she approved of his presence or not. Eren told the blonde about the river, how Issy would follow it, and that she would not be pleased at all about having her mate follow her.

That was all the advice he could give. The rest was up to the merman.

Farlan didn’t make a sound, waiting frozen in the shallows in front of Eren and taking it all in with wide, worried eyes.

Silence reigned and Eren gave a single, questioning click.

It was enough to snap Farlan out of his chaotic thoughts. The blonde gave a strangled whimper of thanks and turned in a rush, churning the water as he sloshed his way back into the sea…and headed for the river’s mouth. Eren felt a smile take over his face. Farlan had understood, then. It was his choice to escort Issy or leave her to her fate and hope that she returned, and he’d chosen to find and protect her in a heartbeat. Eren felt proud.

He watched the frantic merman go tearing through the ocean, disappearing in moments, and noticed Levi’s eyeroll at his friend’s reckless diving.

The two mers looked at each other, Levi coming to collect Eren and take him back home. They shared a warm glance, understanding the same, wonderful things. Farlan would follow Issy, track her down and stay by her no matter what the fiery little redhead thought about that. He was going to be a good mate for Issy.

Just like Levi was for Eren.

Although looking at Levi and the fondness in his eyes, Eren knew that no mermaid would ever be quite as lucky as he had been.

 

Six months went by and Eren was busy trying to ward off an overly affectionate raven-haired merman. Levi wanted to put an ear to his belly and listen to the little ones growing inside of his mate, but Eren wanted food and his big brute was too playful to listen to him.

It hardly mattered. Eren was sure he’d never purred more in his life than he had these past few months, since the moment he and Levi had realised that he was pregnant again.

There was still plenty of time before any birthing would happen, weeks at least. Soon, though, they would have a new litter to raise, new lives to cherish and teach and care for. This time around Eren felt ready for it. He knew what to expect, as did Levi. In those days leading up to the birth, the merman would be staying close by to help in whatever way he could. They would need to stockpile some food beforehand, things that wouldn’t spoil in a hurry like seaweed which could be dried and rehydrated at a whim with the water in the caves.

Both mers were elated with the development, missing their first litter. Levi still saw their son from time to time, roaming the reefs or heading inland to visit the lake, even returning from a visit trailing little pups bound for the reef themselves.

It was a promising development.

Seeing their offspring turning out so well, being so kind to his kin, gave Eren a lot of hope. Pride, too. He was proud of how they had raised their first litter. This time around they would both be ready, and there would be no worry or doubts that they were ruining their children’s puphood raising them away from a pod. Eren felt ready, eager even, for another batch of youngsters. He was ready for whatever the new litter might throw at them.

Unless, Eren thought, all the new pups turned out to be mermen. If they were then Levi would certainly have his work cut out for him.

Eren didn’t tell Levi why he started to chortle.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you have it. I told you there would be a happy ending!! ^_^
> 
> I can't quite believe that this fic is over, but I'm so happy it got this far. Thank you all for coming along to read and leave comments! Your support got this fic to where it is today and I've been more than happy to share the adventures of these fishy lovers with you!
> 
> If you have any lingering questions, things you'd like to know about the AU or answers you'd like tied up, feel free to drop a comment or come see me on [tumblr](http://haberkonium.tumblr.com/) and I'll be happy to explain stuff that didn't make it into chapters. I'll try and stockpile any answers into the fic tag "fic: dark waters" for anyone who wants to trawl through that.
> 
> And with that, we've come to the end. It's been a good ride. I'll see you all in the next story, and let's hope it's as good of an adventure as this one!
> 
> P.S. It's about spiders. (OooOOooohhh so spooky.)

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [La Mer](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7338058) by [Nikkorin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nikkorin/pseuds/Nikkorin)




End file.
